Odd Admiration
by Hatochan
Summary: Kakashi's respect for Iruka and the academy sensei increases monumentally. Part of TI.
1. I'd call that duress

**Author's Notes**

- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed Show and Tell and Tied With a Bow and everything else I've written :)! Ya'll are the reason I keep on trucking!

- I just want to tell all you wonderful people to check my profile from time to time, because I keep an updated list of links for fanart and new stories that are related to the TI universe ( I have a universe!) but not posted here. Especially be on the lookout for smuttiness ;)

- For FuyunoAkegata :) Jam and Jelly, baby!

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

**Special Notes **

- Make sure to check out FuyunoAkegata's link on my profile page. Her story ' Me In Honey' is listed there and her other writings can be found on her homepage :) Fuyu is working in the TI stuff and this first piece is excellent! Be on the lookout for more of her work !!!

**Story Notes**

- This occurs several months after the events of Show and Tell. For anyone trying to keep track, it's late summer/early fall, the begnning of the school year.

**Warnings: NO ANGST xD, **Coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

-----------------------------------------

**Odd Admiration**

**Chapter 1**

**" I'd call that duress." **

The first night had been the worst. It went something like this;

_" How come you wear that mask?" _

_" Are you a cyclops?"_

_" Whatcha readin'?" _

He spent the evening dodging unintentionally invasive questions and wildly off target shuriken. Ten year olds , he learned, were notoriously erratic beginners.

The second night had been better. It went something like this;

_" Uh..."_

_" Mmm..."_

_" ... "_

The silence was thick with fear and awe at his mighty persona and the kunai stayed in the general area of the targets. Eleven year olds, he learned, were easily impressed by celebrities.

The third night had become a belligerent mixture of the previous two. Comments were flung at him with cocky impudence, silence was accompanied by calculating stares and weapons came at him at a fairly predictable rate. Twelve year olds, he already knew, were dependably hostile and unimpressed by everyone.

_I take it back. This is the worst night. _ " And what did I do to deserve this torture?"

" You put a hickey on the back of my neck so all my students could see it every time I wrote on the board."

" Oh... yeah."

The silver haired jounin mentally flinched as he dodged another round of ill aimed shuriken by simply stepping out of the way. It was the sixth time in twice as many minutes. The weapons flew between himself and his brunette lover, thudding into the thick canvas mats on the wall behind them. Kakashi was thankful for the gymnasium's padding; otherwise, someone would have had one helluva spackling job on their hands.

Iruka didn't even twitch as the shuriken passed mere inches from his left side, simply addressing their owner in his encouraging teacher's voice. " That was good, try again, Rinmei. Please remember the target is _that_ way."

The young blonde girl nodded as she ran to retrieve her sharpened stars. " Yes, Iruka-sensei."

Kakashi waited until she had taken her place back in line with the rest of the snot nosed br- uh, students who were practicing their throws, then reclaimed his place next to Iruka. _This sucks. I can't believe Iruka forced me to be here. _His gaze wandered around the room, briefly resting on the few students who were at the back of the gym reading up on healing jutsus. So far they had been the most well behaved, i.e. quiet. Even the two Inuzuka dogs, tan and black hound pups, lay at their mistress's feet; mouths opening for nothing more than wide yawns.

" I didn't force you." Iruka smirked.

Kakashi returned his attention to the brunette and didn't even try to feign surprise, he knew the other man could read him like an open book with transparent covers and bold type. Steely gray sloped to display his covered pout. " You said I'd have to go three whole nights without you if I didn't come. I'd call that duress. "

" No, that was simply stating a fact. " The brunette's smirk turned to a more neutral expression as a wild maned boy came trotting up to the two adults. Iruka stopped him before he got within an arm's length. " Genji-kun, I don't care how long you've studied that jutsu, you are not going to try it indoors. Now get back in line before you lose your place." The boy looked completely crestfallen, but did as he was told. Iruka turned back to the jounin. " He thinks he can perform fire jutsus."

" He's Raidou's oldest nephew. I've seen them training together, maybe he can." Kakashi threw out, baiting. He wanted to see how riled he could get the academy sensei while in front of his students. _An exercise in patience on Iruka's part. I'm just helping him train. Hehehe... _

" Oh, I know he can physically manifest flame." Iruka waved permission for the next line of students to step forward and take aim. " He simply doesn't have the ability to control it. And I really don't want to deal with a raging inferno. It would look bad on my record. "

The jounin snickered and ducked beneath four kunai headed for his face. _This is getting really old. _ He straightened up and shot a withering glance at the other man who blatantly ignored him while humming quietly. Kakashi's expression softened as he listened. _That's a new song. I've never known someone as into music as he is. It's so... endearing._

Kakashi thought back over the previous two nights as he watched Genji and his cohorts step up to the firing line. When his lover had told him that school was on a short break, the jounin had been ecstatic. It had been over half a year since Iruka had taken his ass on top of the Hokage Monument. The Copy Nin had valiantly been making up for lost uke time with the school teacher, requesting as much time off from long term missions as possible. For " training", as Kakashi had explained to the Hokage; if Tsunade was aware that said " training" involved meals in bed, long hot baths and extraordinarily passionate rutting with a well regarded chuunin ( and Kakashi was pretty sure she was aware) then she refused to let on. He did actually spend time at the ANBU practice grounds while Iruka was in school, knowing he couldn't avoid the deep cover missions or reconnaissance much longer. There simply weren't enough experienced shinobi to fill the work orders. And he had something very important to stay alive for now, no slip ups allowed.

So the scarecrow was kept close to home. Kakashi took full advantage of the time spent with his sweetly scarred dolphin, always conscious of the fact that he would eventually have to resume his long distance and long term missions.

So when Iruka had announced the mini holiday, Kakashi had the entire five days planned within seconds. _ We were going to sleep in, have incredibly hot sex, eat lunch, have incredibly hot sex, take a nap , eat dinner, shower and then have incredibly hot sex._ _Repeated until 'Ruka had to go back to work or I got drafted to an S-rank. It was going to be so awesome._ Unfortunately the well laid plans were interrupted by the silver haired man's predilection for marking his lover in visible places. Iruka discovered the glaring hickey on the last day of classes before break and instantly made the decision to have training lock-ins, one for each of his upper classes, the ones that were learning how to handle weapons. Iruka had three of these classes. Three loud, drooling, snotty nosed, insanity inducing classes. So, naturally Kakashi had refused ; no proper jounin would spend his free nights teaching a bunch of pre-genin brats how to throw kunai. He'd have been more inclined to lecture the younger ones ( cute little ankle biters between 6 and 9 years old) on the history of Konoha or ... arithmetic. Sigh.

One hour after the dolphin left their flat the silver haired man swore silently at the empty bed, packed his basic kit and headed towards the Hokage's complex in the middle of town where the community training gymnasium was located.

He had spent his last two nights surrounded by minors with the central figure of all his sexual fantasies only a glomp away; perverted paybacks of various positions constantly thrummed through his head. _I could bend him over that weight bench and... or he could bend __**me **__over that weight bench and- _He was shaken from his heavenly hentai thoughts by a windmill shuriken screaming towards him. Luckily he had caught the movement in time to catch the weapon between his first two fingers. Kakashi raised an irritated brow, dropping the huge star to the floor with a loud metallic clang. _It's that blonde, again._

" Alright, Rinmei-chan." Iruka's voice was heard loud and clear though he had neither raised it nor lost his calm tone. Teachers were the masters of projection, or so Kakashi had been told ( he certainly never went out of his way to practice that skill). " Since you're determined to take on Kakashi-sensei I think it's only fair that everyone have a chance." He stood next to the jounin, hands on hips, stern expression on his lovely face. Iruka had made his announcement as though he were meting out a pop quiz and Kakashi had assumed the students would react accordingly.

Instead the little nose miners let out an enormous cheer that shook the rafters and scampered towards the two men. Kakashi was bombarded by giggly squeals and adolescent threats. _They __**want **__to fight me? Shit. _ His dismay didn't show beyond his mask, years of training taking over.

Of course, it didn't fool the brunette. " Not up to it, 'Kashi love?" He muttered through a grit teeth smile.

" Hn. " The jounin mumbled his non committal response. Kakashi slouched forward, shoving his hands into his pants pockets as he listened to Iruka quieting the class.

" Everyone settle down and take a seat on the bleachers in alphabetical order and , yes, that is the order I call role." The sensei aimed at one of the bigger boys whose mouth was wide open with the unasked question. While the children arranged themselves along the far wall, the two shinobi held a quiet conversation.

" Do you really not feel well, 'Kashi?" came the concerned voice, chocolate eyes wide and anxious. " I know they've been running you ragged and -"

Kakashi couldn't repress a small chuckle at the sudden turn around in the teacher's attitude. " 'Ruka, I admit I'd rather take a whole slew of S-rank missions than have to teach these hellions on a regular basis. I couldn't do it and you're more the man than I for being able to and not go insane, " He swayed to the left , pushing his shoulder into the smaller man's, enjoying his delicate blush. ", but if you can wrangle these kids just three days after being poisoned then I think I can handle a little sparring after two months of light duty. Besides, I'll be damned if I'm gonna let a bunch of brats think I can't handle 'em."

The smile that bloomed on Iruka's face nearly melted Kakashi where he stood. _ Kami, I 'd let these punks practice chidori on my ass just to keep getting that smile. _

" So you will actually pretend to engage them?" The younger sensei sounded leery. " You won't pull out that book and barely give them a glance while you dodge every move? "

" What makes you think that?"

" You patronized Team 7 in that manner. " Iruka nodded to a small girl who seemed to have caught his attention. Watching her scramble up the steep seats, he continued speaking to his lover. " They won't learn anything, or want to learn anything, if you don't actively fight them."

Sighing in a most long suffering way, Kakashi pulled a hand from his pocket and extended a pinky finger. " I , Hatake Kakashi, promise to use the best of my abilities to spar with the youth of Konoha."

" You sound like Gai-sensei." Iruka chuckled , but locked pinkies. " Thanks, though. I appreciate it." The class was beginning to calm down, the dozen children more or less lined up on wooden planks. Their sensei turned to address the group of fidgeters. " We are going to play tag. " There was a chorus of groans, but the academy instructor ignored them. " but with a few different rules." He had their full attention now. " The matches will be one on one, a student versus Kakashi-sensei. Each match will be timed for five minutes. Each fighter will be given a flag. " The brunette pulled two long strips of cloth from a vest pocket, bandages from the healing studies center. He reached behind the taller man and shoved one end of the bandage half way down the back of the jounin's pants. Kakashi did not miss the mischievous glint in the brown eyes or the slight groping he received as Iruka removed his hand. " Your goal will be to capture your opponent's flag before they get yours."

" So how is this different from regular tag?" The blonde, Rinmei, raised her hand, kunai spinning on her index finger. Kakashi was seriously beginning to not like the girl.

" First off , Kakashi-sensei will be handicapped. "

This got more moans from the children and the mentioned jounin, as well. Kakashi muttered just loud enough for the shorter man to hear. " I thought you wanted me to ' engage' them. "

Iruka ignored him, too. " He will be restricted to defensive taijutsu, no weapons, two ninjutsu and one basic genjutsu per match. Students are allowed any weapon in their arsenal and any form of jutsu covered in class. If you've been studying a particular jutsu outside of school, you're welcome to try it. BUT, " Iruka's words hardened and his expression displayed that he was not to be screwed with. " students and sensei alike will not perform any moves meant to injure."

A covered ear perked up and Kakashi raised a brow. _No way will I be able to stay awake if they aren't even going to try to take me out. _He sidled closer to the other man and made a show of taking in the kids' disappointed faces. " Awwwww, Iruka-sensei. I'm a big boy, I can take a few fire jutsus."

" Thanks for reminding me. No fire jutsus for those of you who think you know them. That goes for anything else that could bring the roof down on us or the floor to swallow us up. Keep that in mind."

" Awwwww, man!" Students and jounin whined in chorus. Kakashi could tell the combined nagging was wearing down the dolphin's resolve.

Iruka threw his hands into the air, definitive sign of surrender. " Fine, fine! If Kakashi- sensei wants to risk dismemberment then so be it, but -"

" That's a lot of ' buts'." The scarecrow leered.

" Nothing fatal. Aim to incapacitate, not to kill. I mean it. " The golden skinned shinobi gave his final command and everyone in the gymnasium could tell that he wouldn't relent any further.

Twelve pairs of thoroughly cowed eyes faced the two ninja. Kakashi never failed to be impressed by the respect the students gave Iruka, wished desperately that he could have garnered such a precious thing from his own genin team two years ago. _ Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Hatake. You know those kids thought the world about you... at least two of them did. _ He abandoned the depressing line of thought and concentrated on the cute way his lover's scar shifted on his nose as he spoke.

" Can anyone tell me why we are playing tag in this fashion?"

A hand shot up from the middle of the row. " To teach us strategy. "

" Correct, Genji-kun. This exercise is meant to test your strategic skills. That means less is more and I will be awarding points according to that guideline. " Iruka's beautiful smile was back in place as he swiveled his head to address the jounin. " Well, we seem to have the entire gamut amongst your competitors, Kakashi-sensei; from your staunchest underage rival all the way to your greatest admirer. " A blush exploded across his face, the scar fading to nearly white against the rosy stain, as he whispered. " Barring me, of course. "

Kakashi winked at his adorably flushed lover and then cringed inwardly. _Just what I need; Gai-sensei and fangirls in training. Wonder which is which. _He scanned the row of twelve year olds, gauging their expressions for signs of challenge or adoration. _Mostly challenge. Should be interesting. _ He had just made it to the end of the bench where the small girl from before sat when the other instructor began. Kakashi's attention faltered and lazily decided to focus on Iruka's words. Or rather the way his tongue would peek out every now and then to wet his lips. Oh, the jounin had such plans for that slip of pink the first chance of alone time they got.

"Alright, let's get started. " Iruka gestured towards the first person seated on the bleachers. " As luck would have it, Akane Rinmei-chan, you're up first."

Kakashi moseyed towards the other end of the room and readied himself for a very long sixty minutes.

------------------------------------------------

_tbc_


	2. I don't like kids

**Author's Notes**

- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed Show and Tell and Tied With a Bow and everything else I've written :)! Ya'll are the reason I keep on trucking!

- I just want to tell all you wonderful people to check my profile from time to time, because I keep an updated list of links for fanart and new stories that are related to the TI universe ( I have a universe!) but not posted here. Especially be on the lookout for smuttiness ;)

- For FuyunoAkegata :) Jam and Jelly, baby!

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

**Special Notes **

- Make sure to check out FuyunoAkegata's link on my profile page and check out her profile page on this site. Her stories ' Me In Honey' and ' Between the Journey and the Rest' are listed there and her other writings can be found on her homepage :) Fuyu is working in the TI stuff and this first piece is excellent! Be on the lookout for more of her work !!!

**Story Notes**

- This occurs several months after the events of Show and Tell. For anyone trying to keep track, it's late summer/early fall, the begnning of the school year.

**Warnings: NO ANGST xD, **Coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

-----------------------------------------

**Odd Admiration**

**Chapter 2**

_**' I don't like kids.'**_

" Call ! Kakashi-sensei wins the match!"

Cheers and jeers flowed freely across the large space, words floating upwards to intertwine with the rafters. Silver hair wafted in the soft breeze caused by the young boy swinging at arm's length from Kakashi's body. The jounin held his defeated opponent by the scruff of his collar, letting him hang as the boy kicked and punched in a futile effort to get his flag back. Kakashi held the white strip in his other hand and dangled it like string in front of a kitten. His unsportsman-like actions did not go unnoticed.

" Kakashi." Iruka said in a warning tone.

" Yes, sensei." The scarecrow acquiesced and set the boy, Kenshin he thought his name was, onto the ground. Kenshin thrust both hands out, nearly as far as his lower lip. Kakashi reached behind his back and pulled the boy's short swords from a loop in his vest. _Nice weapons. Looks like they've been passed down through a few generations judging by the saya. _The blades were carefully placed in the outstretched hands, the older shinobi ruffling short red hair as the boy broke into a broad grin and sheathed his treasures.

" Very well done, Kenshin-kun ." Iruka praised from the side line. He patted his student's shoulder as he walked by to reclaim his seat. " Now class, who can tell me what worked and what didn't in Kenshin-kun's performance and how did Kakashi-sensei counter the attacks? Also, can you give me any alternative strategies that could have been used by either opponent? "

The scarecrow shoved both hands into his pants pockets and chose to not pay attention to the post match discussion. Iruka gave excellent pointers and covered all the basics of each match, leaving Kakashi with very little too add. Instead, the jounin stared out one of the high windows where the moon was making its trek across the night sky and mused about his last 11 sparring partners. _Damn, these kids are actually pretty good. _ Kakashi was impressed by the pre genin's skills, not that they were any real match for him, but the young shinobi-in-training had shown quite an extensive repertoire. Even without the use of more advanced jutsus the students had displayed above average skills with their weapons and taijutsu, a wonderful understanding of genjutsus and quite a few creative ninjutsus, as well. Naturally, no one followed the 'less is more' rule. The kids had taken the opportunity of being matched with the famous Sharingan Kakashi to show off every single trick they knew; the more flamboyant , the better. The silver haired jounin had found them amusing even as he delighted in their general skill level. He'd made sure to give each child a solid two minutes before he moved in to finish the match, keeping his promise to the beloved dolphin and taking the time to discover the students' talents. _Maybe the future of Konoha isn't as bleak as I once thought. They've got some good moves._

" That's a good idea, Akinori-kun. Next time we have field practice we'll visit the lake to put that to the test. Maybe we can even cajole Kakashi-sensei into volunteering again. " Iruka laughed out loud, bringing the jounin's focus back to him. The bright sable eyes turned, dark ponytail bouncing cheerfully. " Well, there's only one more student left, then you can take a break while we make a snack. " The brunette assured the jounin before turning back to his class. " Well, last, but certainly not least, Toranoko-chan is up."

" Ko-chan ! Ko-chan ! Ko-chan !" The class chanted the girl's nickname, shouts and whistles intermittent.

Kakashi watched as the smallest child shyly hung her head at the rambunctious encouragement, thick hair curtaining her face. However, enough was peeping through for the jounin to spy a very familiar sight. Ko-chan was wearing a mask over the lower half of her face, not bandages or a high collar or some makeshift covering that were not uncommon in the village, but a thin dark blue mask exactly like the one he wore. _ How did I miss that? Oh yeah, I was purposefully ignoring everyone who wasn't Iruka. _The other sensei's words, about an admirer, resurfaced in his thoughts and Kakashi had to question that observation. _Kinda young to be a fangirl. Actually, she looks too small to even be in this class. _ The girl slowly made her way down from the fourth row to the wooden floor, stopping in front of her sensei; she barely came to his waist. Iruka crouched to face her, blocking her from view with his body. Kakashi could tell they were having a conversation of sorts by the way Iruka's ponytail bobbed up and down, he'd always been an expressive speaker.

After a minute or two the brunette stood, patting the girl on the head, and shooed her off towards the other side of the gym. The silver haired man waited patiently, studying his new opponent while she took her place. The kids were still making quite a ruckus and Kakashi was sure the child was blushing beneath the dark material, her eyes downcast modestly. _She appears to be the class pet; everyone rooting for her and all, probably because she's such a runt. Well, it's definitely better than them picking on her for it. _

" Toranoko-chan, would it better if we left the room?"

Kakashi flicked a confused look in Iruka's direction before settling his single gaze back onto the small girl. Ko-chan gave the room a quick once over, large golden eyes sweeping methodically from corner to corner, top to bottom. She nodded solemnly to her sensei. The jounin felt a tiny sliver of fearful curiosity. _Wait a second. We've had everything in here from melee weaponry to a pack of Inuzuka dogs ( Okay, only two pups, but they were pumped up on sugar or something). What the hell is this kid gonna do that 'Ruka's gotta clear the room?! _Kakashi kept his face impassive, too many years of training to give away his uneasiness, even if he could feel his body breaking out in a cold sweat.

" Okay, class, we're heading to the protected observation room. " Iruka began steering the tykes towards the stairwell.

_The protected observation room?! _ " Uh, Iruka-sensei…?"

The brunette paused at the doorway, expression cheerful as always. " Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, the upper deck is safe and we'll be completely out of your way while you're sparring. Oh, by the way, I'm lifting the majority of your handicap for this match. As long as it's non lethal, you can use it. Weapons, jutsus, whatever. You're probably going to need them. " And with that ominous statement the door closed on Iruka's wicked grin. The click of the lock was thunderous in the nearly empty room.

The elder shinobi stood staring at the blank door, thoughts of severe punishment swirling around in his mind's eye; predominately of the collar and paddle type. _I'm going to get his sweet ass for this. _ Kakashi finally forced himself to turn back to his adversary. Ko-chan was standing silently at the other end of the gymnasium, arms held loose at her sides, body relaxed. She did not look as though she were going to spar. _Looks like she's waiting in line at the grocery store. She hasn't said a damn word the whole time I've been here. Kami, I hope she's not another pouty/angsty/pretty type. But I guess since Sasuke's gone, the position is open. _ The thought of the Uchiha hurt a little, the jounin missed the affectionate teasing he had doled out while the boy's instructor. He gave the little girl a quick once over. _Doesn't mean I want a replacement any time soon, though. Shit, get your head outta your ass and concentrate on figuring out how this little brat operates!_

Ridding himself of the melancholy thoughts, Kakashi assumed a similarly bored stance, using the time before the other sensei called the match to begin to size her up. She was exceptionally small, even for a pre-teen and again the jounin had to wonder how old she was. _Maybe she's one of the advanced first years, that would make her about ten. Still, she's tiny. _ Her clothing was odd only in its seriousness. The girl wore blue so dark it was nearly black, a hanten enhancing her child like appearance by being two sizes too big for her. It hung off her slim frame, billowing over her short pants, hiding the tips of her fingers._ Aren't little girls supposed to wear pink dresses and ribbons? Or at least something flirty? That looks like an older brother's hand-me-down. _ Her toes barely peeped out from underneath the top of her zori. Ko-chan's thick black hair was pulled into a tail at the back of her skull and fell to her small waist, ear tails were left to dangle below her shoulders. Eyes the color of antique coins stared serenely back at him, fringed in ebony lashes and framed in a light mocha face. _Looks like a cat's eyes, that's different. How many clans have an ocular kekkei genkai that manifests itself in golden eyes?_

_Haven't I heard about this before? _

And , of course, there was the mask. That disturbed him the most and interrupted any other thought processes he had running.

It was identical to his and Kakashi had to question that since he had his masks specially made. She was really too young to be wearing such a thing as far as he was concerned. _I really don't have fangirls this young, do I? What the hell? A new generation of squealers trying to catch me unmasked, just what I need. _ It would have been the perfect explanation, except the child hadn't made a move towards him all night and she looked far from infatuated standing across from him.

" All right, we're bunkered down." Iruka's voice blasted over the P.A. system, startling the jounin, though he made sure it didn't show outwardly. " Fighters...begin!"

Kakashi's body instantly moved into sparring mode without really moving at all; muscles loose but ready, single eye alert. He remained still, giving her ( as he had all the other students) the first move. There was a brief pause, both combatants continuing their stare down as though they could win through sheer intimidation alone. Then Ko-chan cocked her head to the side and slapped her hands together in front of her body. A blinding flash , accompanied by booming thunder, erupted from her palms, filling the gymnasium with intensely white light. The jounin took the opportunity to rush forward, intent on spooking the girl with his bold move, with no plan to attack; though he did keep alert to defend himself, if necessary.

He closed the distance within less than an eyeblink... eye blinking repeatedly as it was met with darkness. _What the hell? _Empty air and solid black surrounded the confused shinobi, a thousand questions and possible solutions buzzing in his head. _ Okay, didn't really expect her to still be here, not if she has any skills whatsoever, but the dark thing is a surprise. Was I blinded? _Kakashi did an inner check of chakra. Nothing came up wrong with his eyes. _So, jutsu? _ He ran a quick check, but didn't sense anything messing with either his sight or his brain's perceptions of such things. _So that leaves the obvious and most simple of explanations; the lights are off. She must have tripped them during her little light show. Very crafty. _With that knowledge, Kakashi quickly adjusted for blind combat, pulling his hitai-ite over his gray eye. Despite the silver haired jounin's mental conversation less than two seconds had passed since his move towards Ko-chan and Kakashi knew she couldn't have gotten too far.

Strategies running on autopilot, the scarecrow mentally plotted his best move. _ I can't see, but neither can she, which leaves sound, smell, presence and chakra detection. I just need to figure out which ones she's planning on using. _He stood perfectly still though a smirk curled beneath his mask. _ I'm pretty sure I've got her outclassed in all those areas; she is just a punk pre-genin, after all._

Reaching out with his other senses, he ticked off each one in his mind.

_Sound._ Kakashi concentrated first on the back ground noises. A strong autumn wind was screeching outside , air circulating through the vents, electric hum from the control room, the dull _drip-drip _of a leaky pipe Basic sounds associated with a cavernous public space; large and hollow. The jounin quickly blocked them out and searched for noises made by his little opponent. There were none. _ Very good. Her stealth skills are commendable, I can't hear her at all. _Of course, he could move in utter silence.

_Smell. _ Standing where she had stood mere seconds before, he inhaled the warm air through his mask and analyzed its varying scents. Stale sweat, the tang of oil used for kunai and shuriken, cold tea and sandwiches from their early dinner. And a soft barely there hint of something fresh and feminine. _Ume blossom lotion, it's soaked into her clothing. Eventually someone ( most likely an older kunoichi) will have to tell her to do differently, but for now it only works to my advantage. _Of course, he only used neutral scented toiletries when in the field and non descript herbal formulas when in the village.

_Physical presence. _ Nothing shifted around him, near him or anywhere in the gym as far as he could tell. It felt as though he were perfectly alone in the huge room. _ Very, very good stealth abilities. Much better than the others, they haven't quite mastered it yet. Kudos to Iruka. _ Of course, he could maneuver without disturbing a breath of air.

_And that leaves chakra detection. _ It was simply the easiest way to find a shinobi, particularly those of lesser skill. Every ninja had a chakra signature and had to be trained to conceal it in order to remain undiscovered. Pre genin would most likely have reached a level where they could hide from each other and genin, possibly even evade a chuunin or two, as well. Of course, he could completely mask his chakra with no prob- _ Oh, shit. I can't sense a damn thing. How is this possible for an academy student?! _Kakashi turned slowly in place, extending his perceptions to try to catch any faint whisper of life energy in the room.

_Nothing. Not a flick- _ Kakashi's silent ranting was interrupted by a tiny ping from across the room. _AHA! Gotcha! _Apparently he had overestimated her skills; she was just a pre genin. The jounin smirked once again and leapt toward the noise. _Basic taijutsu, first. _ Dropping to a crouch Kakashi swung his leg over the floor in a sweeping side kick. He caught air. _She jumps to counter. Very good. _He followed it up with a higher kick, aiming for where he estimated her midsection to be when she landed from her jump. Again, there was nothing but air.

Kakashi nodded in compliment to the black void and back flipped several meters away, giving the little one time to make her next move. So far ,she was meeting his expectations and his earlier flash of insecurity ( caused solely by Iruka's devious mind tricks) had disappeared once the girl displayed the normal flaws of an academy student. Kakashi still couldn't sense Ko-chan's chakra, something that irked the shinobi to no end, but he could put it to the side long enough to focus on her mediocrity and finish the match. He had one minute fifty seconds left to play cat and mouse.

By his own bearings Kakashi knew he was approximately seven meters away from his original position, with the old wooden bleachers to his left. Ko-chan was most likely close by, a conclusion based on their previous coordinates and interaction. Crouching loosely where he landed, the jounin continued to try to pinpoint the child's location as he drew idle doodles on the worn floor matting with his index finger. The plastic covering was frayed and pricked his skin. _Damn, her chakra control must be ungodly to keep her presence totally masked like this, but surely someone as young as her can't keep it up for too long. Eventually she'll tire out and let it slip a -_

Another soft thud occurred, to his right this time. _Iruka said I could use more advanced jutsus. Time to step things up a bit. _ Kakashi quickly made a succession of hand seals and aimed his attack towards the right. " Chuumitsu Tei no Jutsu!" Waves of chakra poured through the air, thickening the very atmosphere into the consistency of wet cement. It was one of the first jutsus Kakashi had snagged with the Sharingan and it was perfect for his current predicament. The trap was broad enough to cover a diameter of five meters ( good, since he couldn't see exactly where his opponent was ) and it took a lot of the fight out of most victims as it made even breathing difficult when one struggled. The prey would remain ensnared within the jutsu until Kakashi came along to unlock the trap with a special hand sign. It was considered an advanced trapping technique because if one poured too much chakra into the jutsu the air would continue to thicken until it became unbreathable and the prey asphyxiated. _That can be useful in the field, but right now that would be categorized as a 'bad thing'. _

Except when the jounin gave the invisible tendrils of chakra a tug, to lead him to the captured girl, nothing tugged back. He jerked sharply and received no resistance; Kakashi's trap was empty. _She is a crafty little brat. _Fingers dispelled the jutsu and the silver haired jounin once again changed positions to keep his prey guessing as to his whereabouts. He paused and absorbed the utter stillness of the room. _Okay, I still have a minute and a half left to play with her until I need to shut her down. In a nice way, of course. _Kakashi straightened up from his crouch and tried once more to stretch his senses in an effort to find her. And again, he failed.

It was beginning to piss him off.

The seconds ticked by slowly, the standard issue clock on the far wall unseen yet loudly proclaiming its presence. Kakashi remained in his spot, waiting for his opponent to make another move. Time passed. Nothing happened, nothing happened and nothing happened. _ She's either scared or out of ideas. Not good, but I'm not about to throw her a bone even for Iruka's sake. Hmmm. What's another non lethal jutsu to throw at her? Something she can struggle in for the next... fifty seven seconds before I finish this. I could summon Pakkun, but that would spoil some of the fun. And I'd have to give the little runt a steak for his troubles. Nix that idea. What else?_

_Thunk. _A tiny ume breeze and soft sound exactly half a meter from his left side disrupted his mental search for appropriate jutsus. On instinct he lashed out, kunai blade heading straight for where he knew the enemy neck to be. His arm had barely left his side before he remembered that he was sparring, not fighting, and that a knife swung across someone's throat constituted a fatal move. _Oh shit! _ A quick flick of his wrist and the blade twisted under his hand leaving the rounded end to do what damage it would within his pulled punch. In that same fraction of a second, Kakashi also realized that his aim was way too high for the child that he was sparring with and that adjusting his grip on the kunai wouldn't matter since he was swinging nearly two full heads above her height anyway.

His attack caught nothing but air and he sighed in relief, too grateful that he hadn't killed a student to be upset over his move being avoided. Kakashi returned the kunai to its rightful place as he performed another leg sweep followed by a few empty handed punches. _Too close, Hatake. Don't let the claustrophobia get to ya. Sparring, no real danger, no need for lethality. _After his heartbeat returned to normal ( _Thank kami I pulled back in time) _Kakashi moved on to being irate at the fact that he still hadn't touched the girl. _Nothing. Damn this kid is good. I landed at least two hits on each of the other students during their two minute run. Just to give them a push. But she's an evasive little thing. _

Kakashi's internal alarm clock buzzed loudly inside his head. _Time's up! I get to light a fire under her ass now! MWAHAHAHAHAH!!! _Kami, but he did love to torture the little ones. Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate to reveal his gray eye. His hands flew through the seals, finishing with a sadistic grin and " Hyakuman Taiyou no Jutsu!". Instantly a ball bigger than Kakashi's head and made of pure white light sprang to life in his gloved palm. His arm shot straight up, allowing the light to flood the entire cavernous room as though it were high noon in the middle of the desert. _This should give the pipsqueak quite a scare! What the-?!_

Standing directly in front of him, no more than an arm's length away, was Ko-chan. With a long strip of white material hanging from her raised fist. Metallic hued eyes blinked innocently up at him. _NO WAY!!! _He hadn't heard her, smelled her, felt her, but she was there with the flag that was supposed to be shoved down the back of his pants. _NO WAY!!! _He was in denial. Kakashi reached back with his free hand to trace the edge of his waistband. Fingers quickly found the odd fabric, softer than his pants and vest. His flag was still in place. _But-_

The white band wavered in the girl's grasp, then her hand was a blur of white cotton and light maple colored flesh and glints of silver. Kakashi felt the end of his own flag, fluttering in the air after his manhandling, being snagged on something then jerked from his waistband. The sound of a weapon imbedding itself in concrete block broke the stillness in the room. Ko-chan disappeared from in front of him. Kakashi threw the ball of light into the air and tried to pivot on heel to chase after her. Tried and failed. His feet refused to leave the floor and Kakashi lost his balance. As he fell to his knees in an inelegant flail, the silver haired man broke a very cardinal rule of the shinobi code. " FUCK!!!"

The light jutsu slowly fell through the air, fading into nothing once it reached the ground. The smell of burnt ozone drifted through the recycled air. Kakashi managed to twist his upper body around, catching a glance of his opponent pulling the captured flag from the wall before the room fell dark once more.

" Call! Ko-chan wins the match!"

Kakashi could hear the ecstatic shrieks of the children in the background of Iruka's announcement. _I am never going to live this down. _He sighed heavily, then forgot his self pity in the blinding flash of the gym lights being turned on. Kakashi hastily covered his true eye , squinting in the harsh metal halide at the senbon lodged in the soles of his zori. _She pinned me. _Disbelief gave way to amusement, irritated to impressed. Kakashi pulled the slivers of steel from the sides of his shoes. The needles had been thrown with frightening precision, piercing the very outside edges of the zori, the depth of the floor mat and several centimeters into the wooden floor all while missing the tender flesh of his feet.

Iruka's voice made another announcement. " You two can come up to the control room. I have something to show you. "

Kakashi stood up and turned his attention to the dark headed girl on the other side of the gymnasium. A few seconds passed as he watched Ko-chan cross the space, little feet padding along quietly on the thick matting, until she stopped a meter away. She offered the strip of white to him, returning what she had taken. The sleeves of her haori completely concealed her hands, the flag seeming to simply dangle from the dark tube of material instead of being held by human fingers. Her face moved under the mask and Kakashi knew she was smiling.

He lowered the hand shielding his eye , sight finally adjusted to the regular light levels, and accepted the object symbolizing his defeat. Kakashi handed her the retrieved senbon. " Thank you." As the wide gold eyes were turned to him, little snippets of memory skipped through his mind. Images and past conversations blended and twisted until the he was left with a mental still frame of a chubby baby face, peering around the curtain in a shop's doorway, the voice of the former head of Torture and Interrogations rattling off some nonsense about 'genetic gifts' and ' immediate high level training'.

It was so familiar to Kakashi, but he simply couldn't place it.

Ko-chan's sleeve accepted the cluster of needles, the metal disappearing into the folds of her clothing.

_Well, that explains the oversized outfit; hiding places. I wonder how many she can conceal at one time. _" I guess we should head on up there. "

The small girl nodded her head and took a step towards the door, then stopped beside Kakashi. Ko-chan reached out and took the shinobi's gloved hand into her own, sleeve sliding down to the crook of her elbow and exposing the thin arm. _What the hell? _ Kakashi looked down at the little hand that had closed around his fingers, his palm too big for the tiny digits. He was a bit amused when she twisted his hand so she could better see the metal guard on his glove, studying it with her unusual eyes. Once Ko-chan was through studying his Konoha Leaf and the larger appendage was held securely, she started walking towards the stairwell entrance, tugging on the shinobi's hand when he failed to keep up. _I guess she thinks I don't know the way. Kinda cute... I guess. _

_No damnit. Kids aren't cute. They are evil little demons. I don't like kids. Iruka does, I don't. _Kakashi pulled a frown, but followed behind the silent child without any protest. _At least she's quiet. _

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_- No, she is not Kakashi's long lost daughter/sister/cousin :) She's just a child in Iruka's class. _

_- Ya'll are the best! And don't forget to check out Fuyu's stuff!_


	3. Well, I'll be damned

**Author's Notes**

- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed :)! Ya'll are the reason I keep on trucking!

- I just want to tell all you wonderful people to check my profile from time to time, because I keep an updated list of links for fanart and new stories that are related to the TI universe ( I have a universe!) but not posted here. Especially be on the lookout for smuttiness.

- For FuyunoAkegata :) Jam and Jelly, baby!

- Also check out Fuyu's ' Between the Journey and the Rest'. Excellent read!

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

**Story Notes**

- This occurs several months after the events of Show and Tell. For anyone trying to keep track, it's late summer/early fall, the begnning of the school year.

**Warnings: NO ANGST xD, **Coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

-----------------------------------------

**Odd Admiration**

**Chapter 3**

**" Well, I'll be damned." **

The control room was full to bursting with screaming, cheering, laughing pre-adolescents that quickly swallowed up their smallest member to congratulate her on the victory. Iruka stood over the crowd and gave Kakashi one of his most brilliant smiles. " Well, class. Can anyone tell me where Kakashi-sensei went wrong?"

" He underestimated his opponent! " Several of the students chorused in response.

" That's right, kids." The academy teacher grinned and motioned for the jounin to approach the console. " No matter how unassuming the enemy is, never underestimate their skills. One of the first and most basic rules of the shinobi."

Kakashi pursed his lips, unseen under the mask, but noticeable to Iruka who had plenty of experience reading the clothed face. " You're the one who tried to psyche me out."

" I tried to warn you."

" Oh, you are so going to get it when we get home."

" That's what Rai-ojisan says to Genma-ojisan when they don't want the kids to see them kissing, even though we've all seen them locking lips. " Genji-kun snickered. The adults both turned to the biggest boy in class, his wild spikes of dark brown hair waving as he bounced Ko-chan on his back. The little girl was wrapped around the boy's body, arms about his neck, legs tucked over the crooks of his elbows. Golden eyes peered over his shoulder. " But Genma-ojisan says it's because they're not kissing on the mouth, they're kissing each others'-"

" Alright, who would like to see Toranoko-chan's match again?!" Iruka interrupted his friend's little nephew and swiftly queued up the proper recording of the fight.

Kakashi chuckled under his breath and moved to stand beside his lover, mumbling quietly. " You're going to have a talk with Genma tomorrow, aren't you?"

" No, I'm going to have a talk with Raidou and Reiko-san and let them deal with Genma. " The chuunin stated calmly as his nimble fingers danced over the control panel. Iruka's voice raised enough to get the kids' attention. " Okay, everyone, gather 'round. "

Kakashi was immediately knocked to the side as the students rushed towards the monitor, trying to get good viewing spots. The gray eye narrowed in disdain, the jounin casually shoving his way back to Iruka's side where he could see the surveillance.

The screen displayed Kakashi and Ko-chan at opposite ends of the gymnasium, waiting for Iruka's signal. The silver haired shinobi didn't spare himself more than a second glance before concentrating all his observatory skills onto the smaller figure. He listened as Iruka narrated the scene.

" I have it on mute, right now, because of the noise." The brunette explained. " I began the match... right there. " The film zoomed in on Ko-chan and slowed its pace. " I'm reducing the speed so you can see what she did. "

Kakashi watched the child cock her head and her hands slowly coming together. A small patch of white was resting in one palm, black scrawls covering most of the scrap. " A modified explosive tag." Iruka nodded in affirmation. The Ko-chan on the screen was hidden momentarily by a flash of bright light, but Kakashi saw the glints of silver escaping her sleeve. " And she tripped the lights with senbon. Figured as much." The entire screen reverted to night vision. _Light and sound as a diversion, confusing the enemy. Very good. _

" Yeah, yeah. " Iruka smirked and fiddled with the many buttons and dials and slides in front of him. The kids continued to titter behind and around them, but Kakashi solidly ignored the juvenile conversations. He looked on in amazement as the girl leaped straight up into the gym's rafters, the view pulling back to encompass the room in shades of flat green.

_That's how she did it. She left the floor the second the match started. And it never occurred to me ( You're slippin', Hatake.). _

Sound came to the speakers and the action returned to normal speed. The image Kakashi stood where the girl once had, looking around in confusion. Then he pulled his hitai-ate down and the real sparring began.

" Well, I'll be damned." Kakashi whispered to himself, though he heard some giggles coming from the kids at his remark. When he turned his head the giggles stopped and several of the children had their mouths covered to hold in their merriment. Ko-chan was obviously grinning under her mask.

Ko-chan's strategy had been simple and ingenious. Kakashi watched the girl on the monitor as she crouched on the steel beam and tossed senbon into different areas of the gym, never once leaving her spot almost 30 feet above her original position. And Kakashi scuttled around on the matt, reacting to every ruse, and generally making a fool of himself. _She was just tossing them, not throwing them with any strength, so I couldn't trace the sounds back to her position._

" Sorry about that, Beloved." The jounin leaned over to whisper directly into Iruka's ear as his onscreen image nearly made the fatal strike. Kakashi cringed as he watched the potentially lethal mistake.

" Normally I'd be furious, but I know you fell back on instinct when she got under skin. And besides, you managed to reduce it a blunt force trauma and then missed due to height and the fact that she was never there in the first place. So you're forgiven." Dark eyes cast a loving look upwards to his lover. " Just don't let it happen again."

" Iruka and Kakashi... sittin' in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." Genji-kun sang teasingly.

" Did you hear that from Genma, too?" Kakashi asked, eyebrow raised.

" No, Rai-ojisan. Genma-ojisan uses a different spelling, f-u-c-"

" When your mother gets a hold of Genma, I swear that man is going to be in so much trouble. " Iruka ground out, his jaw tight with restraint. " Raidou is going to cut him off. "

" Cut him off from what?"

" Nothing."

Kakashi snickered and went back to his viewing of the tape. Ko-chan stepped off the rafters and landed directly in front of him just as the light jutsu was formed. She jerked back in surprise and pulled her own flag from her waistband, holding it out in front of her for Kakashi's inspection. _She totally bluffed me. _ Again, Iruka slowed the tape to show the thin sticks of silver being taken from inside the wide sleeves, palmed, and thrown with great accuracy. The flag and Kakashi's zori were pinned, the jounin's curse loud and clear over the speakers, Ko-chan retrieved the strip of cloth and the entire room was cast in the odd light as the jutsu faded into nothing. _I really did just fuck up the entire match. It shouldn't have been that hard. _

_But how exactly did she pull it off in complete darkness?_

" So Kakashi-sensei, why don't you tell us exactly why you lost. " Iruka paused the playback, leaving the screen frozen with Kakashi still on the ground and Ko-chan pulling senbon from the wall. The younger man glowed with eager amusement. The kids looked at the jounin expectantly.

The comment sparked a rather unpleasant emotion, Kakashi feeling a bit uneasy at the smug words, but he pushed it aside. _Kinda harsh for Iruka. Sigh. But, you're man enough to admit to this, Hatake. _The single gray eye wandered freely as he spoke in his best aloof tone of voice. " I was mentally psyched out by Iruka-sensei's warning. I allowed fear of the unknown to drive my actions. Then I overcompensated by underestimating my opponent, which also drove my actions and caused me to react in a way that had more to do with what I drew from my preconceived notions than from the situation at hand. " _Always listen to your sensei, look both ways before crossing the street, don't do drugs, yadah yadah yadah... I hope Iruka is pleased with my little recitation. Oops, I forgot about the mind reading thing and he's looking at me like he knows that I've been mentally bitching. _Kakashi grinned broadly under the dark material, his visible eye crinkling in innocent amusement.

He was saved by someone's growling stomach. " I'm hungry, Iruka-sensei." A girl with dark braids had both arms crossed over her midsection as though she were suffering from a fatal belly wound. Several other students chimed in and Iruka turned off all the equipment.

" Okay, everyone. Back downstairs and I need Rinmei and Kenshin to help me with the snacks. " Iruka stood and waited for the students to exit the control room, Ko-chan still riding piggy back on Genji. He turned on the jounin as soon as the last child disappeared through the doorway, yanking the other man by the front of his vest to bring them nose to nose.

" Iruka?" Silver hair trembled with his voice.

" Thank you." Iruka brushed a gentle kiss onto the masked lips, at odds with his rough handling of the older man. " I know it was hard for you, to admit that in front of them. And I know you really didn't want to spar with them, or even be here. But it really meant a lot to them, and me, that you did. So... thank you. " He kissed the jounin again, this time a lingering pressure that involved the slightest tickling of Iruka's tongue over Kakashi's covered lower lip.

" Iruka and Kakashi... sittin' in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Genji's voice came sing songing up the stairs.

Kakashi smirked and gave his lover one more masked peck on the cheek. " I'd do anything for you, Beloved. Even face these demons." He motioned for Iruka to lead the way and followed at a far enough distance to appreciate the view of the chuunin's tight behind.

" Oh, I almost forgot to ask, " Iruka stopped in the doorway, scarred nose turning back to face the jounin. " How proficient are you at scout sign?"

" Advanced. Why?" Kakashi's brow furrowed in confusion. " Is that the next lesson for the kids?"

Iruka laughed. " No, all the kids are experts in the villages' scout sign and the enhanced language. I just wondered how much you knew. "

" Well, I-"

" Iruka-sensei!!! Akinori-kun is throwing kunai at Rinmei-chan!!!" A childish shriek traveled up the stairs.

Iruka's dark eyes widened and he fled the room." Damnit."

Kakashi shrugged and ambled after him.

_tbc_

----------------------------------------------------------------


	4. Can't a guy read his porn in peace

**Author's Notes**

- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed :)! Ya'll are the reason I keep on trucking!

- Dedicated to my childhood friend, Karina, who taught me the advantages of speaking without sound.

- For FuyunoAkegata, Jam and Jelly, baby!

- Also check out Fuyu's ' Between the Journey and the Rest' and ' Me In Honey' and all her other fics on here and her LJ. Excellent reads!

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

**Story Notes**

- This occurs several months after the events of Show and Tell. For anyone trying to keep track, it's late summer/early fall, the begnning of the school year.

**Warnings: **Little angst- just a bit, I swear-, also coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

-----------------------------------------

**Odd Admiration**

**Chapter 4**

_**Can't a guy read his porn in peace? '**_

Kakashi sank down onto the mat behind a stack of training dummies and pulled out his favorite orange book, cradling it close to his chest. Iruka would be furious with him if he caught him reading Icha Icha with the anklebiters nearby, the kids busy snacking and talking on the other side of his hideout. The general noise of their giggles and conversations and roughhousing created an unusually comforting backdrop for his ears so accustomed to quiet. _ They can't see the illustrations or read it all the way over here. Hell, I don't think they can see anything below my hair over this pile of padding. _The jounin smiled, satisfied with his temporary bunker, and quickly got lost in the sexual exploits of his hero and heroine. _Oooh, he's got flavored oils this time!_

A solid weight landed with a thump at his side, causing Kakashi to lose hold of his precious book. " Gyah!" _Fuck!_

The orange cover glowed against the fading mat, small hands reaching out to pick it up and return it to its owner. The jounin literally snatched the novel from Ko-chan, knowing if his lover found the child in possession of the lewd material it would be his hide. And he had no idea if the kid's hands were clean. _Oh kami! Smudged pages! _After a quick assessment of the pages ( _No sticky fingerprints! Thank you!) _he tucked Icha Icha into his vest pocket, patting it protectively. " Can I help you with something?" _What do you want?_

Kakashi focused on the little girl that had flopped down into his personal space, finally noticing her arms full of food and drink and her hands flying through a series of signs that were vaguely familiar, but didn't make any sense. Large eyes looked up at him questioningly. _What is she doing over here? Can't a guy read his porn in peace? _

Ko-chan set her items down on the floor between her crossed legs, pushing one thick lock of hair out of her face as she wiggled around to get more comfortable. Her hands again whipped through a string of signs, fingers bending and folding and carving shapes into the air.

Suddenly Iruka's earlier query and the child's utter silence throughout the evening made sense. _He said the kids already knew sign, scout and language. And they know more than most pre-genin, or even higher ranked shinobi really, because this one can't speak. Iruka could've mentioned this before, so I wouldn't end up looking like an idiot... again. _The irritation was quickly swept to the side as he saw the golden eyes still staring at him, just waiting for an answer. Unfortunately, Kakashi was a bit rusty on anything beyond the scout signs used in the field.

' I'm sorry, I didn't catch all of that.' The jounin stumbled through some elementary conversational hand signs, different from the military set that he used almost every day.

The girl seemed to laugh, though there was no sound. Her hands created more signs, though much slower than her first set. ' Your signing is rough. I can hear you, I just can't talk. ' She rolled the overly long sleeves of her haori into the crooks of her elbows before signing again. ' That's my 'Tou-san's favorite book. Is it your favorite, too?'

Kakashi nodded, still dumbfounded by the girl's presence.

' He reads it all the time, but he won't tell me what it's about. He said I could read it when I turned thirty. 'Tou-san's thirty-seven. You must be really old, even older than 'Tou-san because your hair is all gray and he just has a silver streak on one side. ' Her hands abandoned the conversation and moved to the stash of food she had brought with her.

_Okay, what is she doing over here? _Kakashi watched as Ko-chan divided her cargo into two piles, each containing a bottle of water, a small bag of apple and orange slices, and a bag of senbei. She moved one pile to a spot near his hip, indicating that it was his share of the goodies. Kakashi cast a few glances over the rest of the gym. _There are plenty of kids to play with, so why is she bugging me? And why is she wearing my trademark? _ The jounin huffed, irritated by his curiosity over the child's mask and unwilling to pursue it. _I'm not giving her the satisfaction of my interest. Little copy cat ( You are the Copy Nin, Hatake. Don't have much room to talk). _ He began to reach for his book once more, intent on ignoring her until she went away.

Ko-chan apparently had other plans. ' Iruka-sensei said you like apple slices. I'll trade you for your oranges.' And then she began to do just that without waiting for an answer. Light brown fingers opened the little plastic bags and began swapping the fruit slices. When she finished, Ko-chan offered the bag of apple pieces to the jounin.

_Oh I get it. She's trying to unmask me. _Kakashi smirked and shook his head. " No thank you." He waited for the disappointment that would accompany her derailed plan. _Not gonna happen, kid. _

Instead of being irked, Ko-chan merely shrugged and put the bag with his other snacks. She claimed her prized orange slices and opened her bottle of water. Little fingers lifted the dark material from tan skin, the mask momentarily hiding the gold eyes and dark hair as it was pulled off. Ko-chan wadded it up and shoved it into the folds of her clothing.

Kakashi drew in a deep breath.

Her skin was the porcelain smooth complexion that all young children possessed, a slightly lighter shade than Iruka's. Flawless... with the exception of four long lines on the right side of her face, stretching from her left collar bone, across her throat and raking up her cheek, ending just before the hairline at her ear. They were thick and dark and slightly raised. A tiny nick had been taken out of her earlobe. Ko-chan drained half her water in one breath and began popping the fruit into her mouth, oblivious to the jounin's gaze.

_A shinobi village is full of scars, but how did a little thing like her receive serious wounds like those? _Kakashi, in shinobi like fashion, stared without seeming to in order to study the marks. _Not accidental, not an animal. The lines are too clean and deliberate, following the contours of her head, definitely a clawed weapon. Maybe shoku. Sparring accident? _Kakashi pondered that for a moment, debating its validity. _A possibility, but she's too young to be sparring with that kind of weapon. _

' Togusa-san makes your masks, too. He told me you have all sorts of different ones.' Ko-chan vigorously chewed her orange slice as she gestured towards her hidden mask.

" Yes, I do. Mainly for the different seasons, lightweight and heavier ones. " Kakashi found himself rattling off the inventory of his mask drawer, for no other reason than a feeling of comraderie with a fellow mask wearer. " I have a couple built into cowls, a few that end above the neck. The short ones are good for off duty activities, especially in the summer. " _ Why am I telling her these things? ( Because she doesn't care about your face, just your mask. It's a nice change.) _

' Cool. I just have four at a time; two light ones and two heavy ones, summer and winter. I wanted to get some that have the hidden pockets for soldier pills or poison, but 'Tou-san said I have to learn to take care of the ones I have before he'll get me anymore. ' A pout pulled the corners of her mouth downward. Scar tissue shifted with the action. ' I keep telling him they get torn during taijutsu practice, it's not my fault.' Then Ko-chan's face perked back up, another orange slice sacrificed to the greedy mouth. ' That air thickening jutsu was great! Did Iruka-sensei teach that to you?'

Kakashi had to chuckle at that. " No, I got that from my jounin sensei when I was younger. Although Iruka-sensei does know how to perform it." He watched the girl swallow her fruit and move on to the bag of senbei. Crackers were picked through until Ko-chan had a handful of the flat ones only and they were shoved into the gaping mouth. _Crap, she eats like a horse. I guess she doesn't have to worry about talking with her mouth full so she just shovels it all in._

The bag was dropped and Ko-chan was signing again, crumbs peppering her chin. ' I'm Shima Toranoko, by the way. '

" Hatake Kakashi."

' Everyone knows who you are, Kakashi-sensei. My father was ANBU for five years. He fought with you in the wars before that and he tells me stories about you all the time. ' She pointed to her scarred cheek, bowed outwards with too many senbei. ' I was really upset when I got these, so 'Tou-san bought me a mask. He told me that there wasn't any shame in scars, but that some scars felt better if you covered them up, like you do. And it doesn't stop you from being the best shinobi in the village, so I was proud to wear it. '

Kakashi was surprised and... touched, in a small way. He knew that he'd been held up as an example for the village's shinobi, both young and old, throughout his military career. Always for his skill and genius, as a goal to be reached or surpassed. _But never for the mask, for hiding behind it. And who the hell is her father that he makes these assumptions about me?! _ " What's your father's name?"

' Shima Shigeru, jounin.'

" Wait a minute. Shima Shigeru who owns the weapons shop in the eastern district? " _Golden eyes in a baby face peering around the doorway, giggles and fatherly reprimands. That's where I've seen her, at Shima-san's shop! _Kakashi felt as though his head would explode with all the little shocks and revelations that he had received in the past hour. _I've been going there for years, ever since he opened up the shop, and I knew he had a daughter but... _

' Yep, he was Tora in ANBU, but he's retired now. ' Ko-chan washed her crackers down with another huge gulp. ' That's where I got my name, Toranoko. He's been making kunai and shuriken and all sorts of stuff since he lost his leg on a mission when I was just a little baby. 'Kaa-san died about a year after that. Did you know 'Kaa-san, too?'

" I met her once. " Kakashi remembered being introduced to a lovely young woman in a formal kimono, deep maroon with gold and ivory embroidery, at a political banquet years ago. _A beautiful young wife on the arm of a strapping young jounin. They were the talk of the banquet that year. _ The silver haired man had spoken softly, his mind recalling the covered dishes he had eaten and the invitations to dinner he had declined, all courtesy of Shima-san and her husband. _And I was there when he lost his leg..._

Ko-chan picked up an orange slice and pressed several differently shaped crackers onto the wedge before tossing it into the air and catching it with her tongue. It was enough to snap Kakashi out of his melancholic daze and quirk a brow at her performance. ' I don't remember her, but I have a lot of pictures and 'Tou-san talks about her a lot. He says I have her smile, that's why I stopped wearing my mask when I was at home, even though I wore it everywhere else.'

That got Kakashi's full attention. He had wondered at her comment about wearing the mask because of her scars, yet she had shown no hint of self consciousness about the marks, casually removing the cloth in his presence. " Because your father wanted to see your smile? "

She nodded. ' When it first happened I never took it off, I even slept in it, and I took baths with it on. Then 'Tou-san told me that and he sounded so sad so I started taking it off when I came home from school, but I still wouldn't leave the house without it or have anyone over unless I was wearing it. ' The senbei had been devoured, the crumbs and little broken pieces unceremoniously dumped into her mouth. Ko-chan frowned and moved on to what was left of her fruit. ' Eventually he got me to take it off in the garden, and then when close friends would come over. And every time we would go out into the streets he would tell me to watch out for all the other shinobi who had scars and how they weren't ashamed to show them. '

The dark lashes fluttered as a stray lock of hair fell into her face. She pushed it aside and continued her conversation. ' So now I don't mind taking it off, but I usually keep it on for sparring and stuff because 'Tou-san and Iruka-sensei said a mask is a useful part of the shinobi uniform and I have to get use to fighting in it. ' Ko-chan slurped up the last orange and drained the juice from the bottom of the bag. The water followed shortly after. A dark sleeve was used to wipe the pink lips, brushing across the inelastic scar tissue nearby. ' Do you ever take yours off?' Guileless feline eyes nailed the jounin dead on.

" More often than when I was young, yes. " Kakashi responded, hand reaching up to scratch at his forehead under the hitai-ate.

' 'Tou-san said your scars are harder to see but they hurt a lot more than mine. ' It seemed to be a challenge of some sort, her expression disbelieving. ' Mine hurt really bad. ' Ko-chan tilted her chin a bit, exposing more of the ruined flesh, displaying her badge of pain.

" Well, uh- " _Kami, how am I supposed to answer that one? _The silver headed shinobi floundered for a moment , tugging at the cord on his vest. " , uhm, they didn't hurt like how you're thinking, but they did hurt quite a bit and for a long time afterwards. Sooooo, that makes us even? "

The child seemed to mull over the jounin's words, fingers tapping against her inner thigh. ' Okay. ' Ko-chan nodded, apparently satisfied with Kakashi's response. ' But my scars look cooler, right?'

" Absolutely."

Another curt nod. Then Ko-chan craned her neck , looking around the pile of stuffed sparring opponents towards the rest of the class spread out over the gymnasium. She seemed particularly interested in Iruka's whereabouts near the snack table.

Kakashi looked as well, seeing his lover busy talking to the Inuzuka child, a pup cradled in his arms. _Damn that makes for a cute picture. _

Ko-chan straightened up and pushed a hand into the voluminous folds of her garments. The jounin watched in confused wonderment as the child fished out a small paper bag. It crinkled slightly and Ko-chan muffled it with her hands, turning a devious smile towards the shinobi. With careful movements the dark haired girl opened the sack to show its contents, signing one handed. ' Iruka-sensei doesn't like us to have sweets when we're training, but 'Tou-san made these this morning and I couldn't wait until I got back home to have some.'

The little hand held the bag out and Kakashi leaned over to see inside. Nestled among a thick mess of powdered sugar were a dozen semi-round clumps of what appeared to be cookies. He was vaguely sure that some of the lumps sticking out of the sweets were nuts of some kind. Kakashi hesitantly pulled one misshapen piece from the bag and simply held it for closer inspection.

Ko-chan placed the bag on her knee in order to use both hands to converse. ' I know they look weird, but I promise they taste amazing. '

" You do realize that Iruka-sensei will know we've eaten these just by the powder that's going to get all over our clothes. " Kakashi gave doubtful glances to their dark attire, the cookie in his hand already sprinkling sugary snow onto his pants leg. He swiped at it with his fingers and only managed to smear it.

' He won't have any proof because we'll have eaten the evidence.' Ko-chan gave her irrefutable logic. She popped the cookie into her mouth, whole, and chewed sloppily. Bits of cookie and white powder circled her lips and covered her chin and continued to fall onto her navy blue haori and even darker short pants.

Without another thought as to why, Kakashi pulled his mask down and took a bite from his ovalesque cookie. As soon as the piece dissolved on his tongue the jounin smiled at the little brunette. Her answering grin hindered the chewing process, but lit her face up like a lantern at New Year's.

_Hmmm... she's right. It does taste amazing. _Kakashi swallowed his bite of dessert, pondering recent events and his new found friend. _Well, now that she's unmasked me and I am the accomplice in her cookie contraband caper ( Say that three times fast. ), I feel justified in asking, _" So, tell me... how were you able to track me during our match? "

_tbc..._

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

_- There are many different sign languages used in the US alone: ASL, PSE, SEE, the Rochester Method, are just a few. And even within a specific method there are regional differences. What I'm getting at is that what I have written about here is only one version of the signed languages, and is not to be taken as a representation of the whole system of signed languages used worldwide. ( In other words, I'm trying to say that I didn't mean to offend anyone, and if I did then I apologize.)_

_- While writing this I used ASL as my guideline, because that is what I am familiar with, but... as a lot of people are not familiar with it, I feel the need to explain one little technicality. ASL does not sign every single word that creates a sentence ( the Rochester method does, it spells every single word). It uses a combination of hand signs, facial expressions and mouth movements to communicate the important words that create the idea. " What's your name?" is signed, literally, as ' You, who?'. To maintain the flow of the piece and to show what Kakashi's brain ( or anyone else's ) is supplying for the literal signs I have written Ko-chan's dialogue as any other character's. _


	5. You should have told me

**Author's Notes**

- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed :)! Ya'll are the reason I keep on trucking!

- For FuyunoAkegata, Jam and Jelly, baby!

- Also check out Fuyu's ' Between the Journey and the Rest' and ' Me In Honey' and all her other fics on here and her LJ. Excellent reads!

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

**Story Notes**

- This occurs several months after the events of Show and Tell. For anyone trying to keep track, it's late summer/early fall, the begnning of the school year.

**Warnings: **Little angst- just a bit, no one dies, I swear-, also coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

-----------------------------------------

**Odd Admiration**

**Chapter 5**

**" You should have told me. "**

" She can see in the dark."

" Excuse me?"

" And she has perfect control over her chakra."

" What?"

Kakashi put his precious orange covered book away and turned his visible eye towards his lover. " Ko-chan. She can see in the dark." He waited patiently as his lover sat on the floor next to him behind the stack of training dummies. The jounin took a moment to appreciate the humor as Iruka plopped down in the exact same spot that the Shima girl had abandoned no more than half an hour ago when Raidou's nephew had offered to be her victim while they practiced medical jutsus; he even crossed his legs in a similar manner and offered Kakashi a bag of senbei. The jounin declined.

" I already know that, 'Kashi." Iruka smiled at him quizzically, two locks of dark hair framing the curious eyes.

" And she has perfect control over her chakra." A pale hand surreptitiously moved to cover his knee, hoping to hide the telltale powdery white that marked the dark blue pants. " And she's mute. Maybe you could have mentioned that to me so I could've avoided looking like an ass when she started signing and I couldn't figure out what was going on." Kakashi rubbed his thumb over the spot to remove the evidence. " And she's only eight. Why the hell is there an eight year old training with your senior class?"

The brunette shook his head. " You're just sore because you're having an off day and a little kid took advantage of it. " The senbei were picked through and the large round crackers singled out. Kakashi decided that he would have to investigate the attraction for segregating snack foods as Iruka spoke up. " And I tried to tell you about having to read sign earlier, but there was a student-shuriken emergency. Honestly, I thought you'd have figured it out on your own. "

Kakashi took the baked sphere that was offered him, but merely rolled it between his fingers. He still had the taste of lopsided cookies on his tongue and only one thing would make him give it up. _ But I don't think 'Ruka is going to try anything with the kids so close by. Pity. _ Instead, the silver headed man fell back into his pouty mode. " That's not the point. You should have told me."

" You're as bad as the kids sometime, you know that? " Iruka chuckled and popped a senbei into his mouth. His dark gaze wandered from his lover for a moment, directing its view to the bleachers on the opposite wall. " Hey! Akinori-kun get down from there!" A few tense seconds followed, Iruka staring intently around the makeshift cover. " That's your only warning. Next time you'll be doing laps around the gym... on your hands." The chuunin's attention turned back to the only other adult in the room. " So how did you find out? Since I was so mean and withheld vital information."

There was an odd rattling coming from the cracker in his hand. Kakashi gave it a confused shake, formulating a mental list of things that could possibly fit inside the snack, then moved on to his beloved's question. " I asked her exactly how she won the match, specifically how she was able to track my movements in the dark. She said she could see in the dark as well as daylight. Said her eyes were " special" , I couldn't get any real details on that. " He let the cracker roll in his palm, sending it up the furrow between two fingers and flying off his fingertips. It spun wildly in the air before coming straight down and rolling back into the cupof his hand. " But I was treated to minute by minute retellings of her chakra training and some of her more interesting senbon lessons. Particularly an incident involving a counsel member's prized chrysanthemums, that did not survive her sensei's demonstration. I can't believe her father allows her to study with Genma. "

" He's the best in the village, he tutors her for free, and he introduced her to her best friend and most likely future husband. What more could a single parent want? " Iruka laughed and tossed a twisted cracker high into the air, catching it in his open mouth. Once it was chewed and swallowed the chuunin continued. " You know, Toranoko-chan wasn't even interested in senbon until she met Genma. That was quite the debacle. "

Sensing a story, Kakashi let go of his obligatory sulkiness and paid closer attention. " This should be good. Especially if Genma was involved."

" Very true. For once, it wasn't his fault, though. " A salty finger was licked clean between the full lips. " Genma picked up an order from Shima-san's shop and went straight to the ANBU training grounds, he didn't think anything about it. But Toranoko-chan had seen him and was curious about that damn senbon he's always chewing on, so she masked her chakra and followed him. Genma had been in the middle of a sparring match with Nezumi, took cover in some bushes and nearly had a heart attack when Toranoko-chan popped out of them. "

" He led her to the special forces practice grounds? The ones which are supposed to be hidden and off limits to anyone outside of ANBU? " _The man is like a magnet for hijinks and mayhem. _" How'd he decide to handle that?"

Iruka smirked and disposed of several more crackers. " He grabbed her and fled. Took her home and apologized to Shima-san, made Toranoko-chan promise not to tell anyone. " Iruka chuckled at the memories. " He had to report it to Morino-san, of course, he nearly got thrown out of ANBU. Morino-san suspended him for two weeks and ordered him to attend a month's worth of academy level stealth lessons, just for the humiliation of it. That's how I found out about it."

" Genma is a marvel. How did he end up teaching the kid to use senbon?"

" It was the only way she would agree to not tell anyone; she just took a sudden interest in them. " The chuunin sensei took a moment to scan the gym's interior, searching out all his students. " I suppose you're wanting to know more about her than just how she embarrassed Genma. "

" Please, preferably from the beginning. " _I want to know how one ends up with a child like Ko-chan. _

" Well, her mother and father really loved each other and when a man and a woman love each other enough they-"

" Ha. Ha. Ha. "

Iruka's smile erased any true irritation the jounin may have had. " You're being too serious. This is supposed to be fun. Kinda, at least. " The smile morphed into a somber expression, his voice lowered to a confidential level. " Her mother left them when Toranoko-chan was barely two, not quite a year after Shima-san lost his leg. I guess she couldn't handle being the wife of a village hero. "

The naked disdain edging the chuunin's words greatly surprised Kakashi. Iruka tended to be self righteously angry when he spoke of people he didn't care for, not brittle and snarky. " Ko-chan was told her mother died. Just easier to deal with?" Kakashi guessed.

" Yeah, no one wants to tell a child that their parent willingly left them for nothing more than selfish vanity. We don't have any idea where she lives now, and I suppose that's for the best. " More cold water disappeared , muscles working beneath the smooth caramel colored skin of his neck. " You know Shima-san, of course, from his shop."

_From before that. _ Kakashi stared intently at his senbei, thoughts wandering through the years. _I remember silent missions and quiet chuckles and steady healing hands. I remember Lightning when Tora took an explosive tag to the thigh in order to keep it from landing on the face of a small boy. _ The jounin leaned back heavily, settling his weight against the stack of wooden frames and ripped padding. _I remember tying a tourniquet. _" I know Shima-san. " Sable eyes narrowed a fraction and Kakashi knew he would have to disclose all information at some point. He nodded, making an obtuse hand gesture to show that he would spill later, just not now. " What about her abilities?"

" Well, her eyes- Akinori-kun! Twenty laps on your hands, now!- her eyes are a genetic trait, but not a kekkei genkai. Her parents didn't have it, their parents didn't have it. " Several more crackers were disposed of and Iruka took a long swig of water. " Her paternal great grandmother had something similar. From what I've read about her, she could see in extremely low light and through partial cover, like fogs or heavy dust. "

" How does that happen and it not be a bloodline trait?" Kakashi rested his hand on one thigh, allowing the little glazed ball to still.

" Genetics and human nature. " The brunette shrugged lightly. " The most plausible theory, and one that has actually been proven in a few cases, is that members of some prestigious clans married outside the houses with non carriers; the stray Hyuuga or Uchiha or Aburame abandoning their clan and having children with diluted kekkei genkai. Eventually the bloodline trait recedes more and more as the generations pass and sometimes it mutates into something else entirely. " Iruka cast another surveying glance over the gym, on the lookout for anything that might require his attention. Akinori passed by them, his feet waving in the air as he struggled to stay upright on his palms. When he completed his first lap Iruka went on. " The records on Toranoko-chan's family don't start until the founding of Konoha, so before that who knows. The best we can assume is that there was a Hyuuga ancestor at least half a dozen generations ago, before the clans were as cohesive or as advanced as they are now. "

_That actually makes a lot of sense and I do remember hearing about there being more people with ' special gifts' in the days before the village was founded. Father used to tell me stories about an older jounin with tomoe in his eyes who had a knack for learning difficult jutsu. Similar to a Sharingan, except the tomoe didn't spin and his eyes remained brown. _Kakashi mulled over the new information, returning to his rolling of the snack. It began leaving little trails of salt on his skin. " That's a rather valuable trait to have. I take it she's been sought out for early recruitment. " _Like I was when I started to show promising talent._

Iruka made a face that Kakashi did not like to see, consisting primarily of a frown. " Yes, that's why she's been trained from a very young age, anything someone her age and size could learn. She's naturally adept at chakra control and with her early training she's reached jounin level stealth. Obviously she's advanced for her age, but she's no Shikamaru-kun. Or you. " The chuunin snickered. " Her other skills and competency levels are only about three years above her age group, but rising exponentially with every passing month. " Brown fingers played with the edge of the plastic bag, finger running back and forth across the thin flap. " T & I have been interested in her since the hospital records listed her as having an unusual eye color. They've kept tabs on her throughout her whole life. She was two when they started testing her. "

_Just like me. Constantly tested and assessed and pushed to exceed their expectations so they could send me out into the field to bloody my hands before I'd even lost my first baby tooth. _Kakashi struggled to contain the plethora of unpleasant childhood memories. His thumbnail created a tiny crack in the shell of the baked sphere. _I had hoped, with the end of the wars, that they had stopped trawling for little kids to twist into emotionless killers. _So entrenched in his own thoughts, Kakashi almost missed his lover's next words.

" When they discovered what her eyes were capable of, they developed a training program and laid out a career path." Iruka was grim as he watched the punished continuing his clumsy laps around the gym.

_" Career path" . With abilities like those, and the potential with training... _" Intelligence gathering and assassinations. Undercover work." Kakashi tried not to think about what kind of undercover work; young kunoichi with a slight and unthreatening look to them, with the right flair, were selected to specialize in the 'womanly arts' in order to gain access to difficult targets. He felt it as unsavory as killing, though just as necessary to a shinobi's arsenal. Kakashi's ears picked up the high pitched laughter of several girls, a boy's slightly deeper chuckle intermingled.

Iruka nodded, but a slight hope entered his voice, obviously sensing the jounin's heavy thoughts. " Her scars will prevent undercover work, " The chocolate brown gaze wandered slowly between the older man and his young charges. " but she was on the list of potentials. Now, Ibiki wants to groom her specifically for assassinations. Shima-san and I have been fighting it since she entered the academy. If it was up to T&I, Toranoko-chan would already be a chuunin and out in the field; she'd be taking A-ranks within another year. "

" You've actually taken it up with Ibiki?" _Wow. He really means business. _ Kakashi felt a swelling of pride at his lover's lack of fear in the face of the bear-like Morino. _Even I get the chills when Ibiki gives me that one look, the one he uses on the poor schmucks in the interrogation room. _He suppressed a shiver.

" Her father's been fighting an uphill battle since her testing, the last head of Torture and Interrogation made it his personal mission to get Toranoko-chan into the ANBU program as quickly as possible. " Iruka closed his half empty bag of senbei and tucked it into a vest pocket. His water was recapped. " At one point he tried to gain custody of her, to raise her within the program." The chuunin visibly shuddered.

Kakashi managed to ignore the urge. He had known ANBU brought up from within, another experiment to produce super efficient shinobi that had failed miserably. They were mostly orphans, picked up off the streets or taken from the government facilities. They never attended academy, never interacted with the outside world except when on duty. They were trained and tutored solely by their appointed ' guardians' and their whole lives consisted of nothing more than missions and training. _Boys and girls who only knew how to fight and kill, the perfect tools for the village... and that's exactly how they saw themselves, expendable. _ Shinobi raised as such were often reckless in the field, seemingly apathetic towards their own lives. On the opposite end of the spectrum, many of them decided they were so expendable that they weren't needed at all. The suicide rate had been frighteningly high.

Kakashi had been just like them in his younger years. " How did Shima-san keep that from happening?"

" He agreed to some advanced training with special instructors and enrolled her in the academy at the age of four, just to keep them at bay. " Iruka leaned back, placing his palms on the mat behind him. " That was almost five years ago. I've had her in my classes for three of those, one year in the ten year old class and this is her second year with the upper class."

Kakashi cocked his head to the side. " She was held back?" _How could she not have passed the final exam?_

" That's how we're keeping Toranoko-chan out of the field. She could have been a genin two years ago, but her father and I agreed that it was too early. So I've held her back, kept her from taking the exit exam, kept her in the academy. " Iruka watched Akinori wobble by on his twelfth circuit of the gym. " When she came to my class, Shima-san explained the situation, about Morino-san picking up where his predecessor had left off. I went to Sandaime about it. " A self satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his lips. " He ordered Morino-san to cease all attempts at recruitment until Toranoko-chan reaches genin level and she, like every other student, will only reach genin level with the satisfactory completion of all class and field work and the approval of her instructor. " The grin became full fledged. " And the old man gave us the loophole we needed. "

Kakashi enjoyed the look of happiness on his lover's face. _That's why all these kids love him so much, that absolute devotion. _It sparked an answering smile beneath his mask. _I guess that's my reason, too. _" So, are you going to keep her here forever?"

" If only. I think two more years, when she's eleven... that should be enough time for her to mature, to have more awareness of the world. " A wistfulness seeped into the young man's words, Iruka pushed off his hands and hunched back over, hands hanging limply in his lap. " I'd actually hoped that it wouldn't be an issue after her injuries. Not being able to speak can be an asset and a liability. Did she tell you about her scars? "

There was a moment of silence as Akinori went by, sweat dripping down his flushed face.

Kakashi nodded. " Caught in the middle of the Sound and Sand attack, running after a stray dog. " _And they thought she was ready to go on missions, risking her life for a mangy puppy during a village wide battle. That's not the action of a shinobi, it's the foolishness of a child. _

" Shima-san wasn't able to go after her and she put her special training to use evading the chuunin who did chase her down. Toranoko-chan actually took out several invading nin, one that was about to spray shuriken across a line of Leaf shinobi and one that tried to kunai the pup, but a Sound nin grabbed her just as the pursuing chuunin caught up to them. " Dark eyes flickered towards the other end of the gym. " I said twenty laps Akinori-kun, not eighteen and a half."

Kakashi turned his head to see the boy leaning against the padded wall, talking nonchalantly with a couple of the girls. Rinmei was rolling her eyes. _I see we have a smooth talker. _

The boy immediately pushed off the wall and fell onto his hands, feet swinging back into the air. Iruka continued in a more subdued voice. " It was a bakh nakh, dragged across her throat. The chuunin, a kunoichi, managed to dispatch the enemy and healed enough of the damage to keep her alive before taking her to the medical shelter. They fixed what they could, but her vocal chords had been shredded. " He lightly fingered his vest pocket where the bag of senbei was hidden, the plastic crinkling slightly. " She used to sing all the time, you know, just little kid songs, lullabies. That's what I always think of when I recall her voice. " Something crunched inside the canvas. " Of course, the scars bothered her more than not being able to speak. "

" Kids are more insecure about their physical appearance than practical matters." Kakashi added. He flipped the cracker in his hand one more time before offering it to the brunette. " But she told me her father helped her with it."

" She told you about the mask thing?" Iruka accepted the snack.

" Yeah, though someone should warn her that Gai might confuse us and challenge her to a pocky eating contest."

The laughter was musical and blended perfectly with the youthful noises echoing in the cavernous space. Kakashi noticed Akinori completing his final lap, flopping down in front of an unimpressed Rinmei. Ko-chan was sitting amidst a small group, her hands flying through signs at an amazing rate of speed. Genji was standing to the side with two other boys, casting soft brown eyes at the small girl as he discussed what appeared to be a set of collectible trading cards.

_Every now and then, I'm reminded that all is right with the world. And I have to make sure that I can keep it that way. _

" I can see that smarmy smile of yours, 'Kashi love. " Iruka practically cooed.

The haze lifted from the jounin's gray eye and he focused it on the scarred sensei. " You're the one who put it there, Beloved. "

" Flatterer. " A huge sigh deflated Iruka's posture, the shoulders slumping forward and then pulling back in a stretch. " It's almost three in the morning, 'bout time they cleaned up and settled in to sleep. I'll come get you when it's time to tuck them in. " The chuunin teased lightly. He made to stand, but stopped as his eyes latched onto a spot on his lover's mask. " Kakashi, have you been eating cookies? "

_Oh crap! " _Cookies? "

" Yes, cookies. You have what looks like... powdered sugar on the edge of your mask. " Iruka's brow furrowed in confusion, his hand reaching towards the dark material.

Kakashi felt the panic rising. _Ko-chan said Iruka forbade sweets during training! He's going to think that I brought them with me and tried to corrupt his students with sugary goodness! Which means he'll punish me! _Silver hair shook violently as the jounin rocked his head side to side. _Which means no sex! _ " Maa, I have no idea what you're talking about, Iruka. This gymnasium is getting old, must be some dust. " _Oh dear kami, please believe me!!!_

The gods were not listening. " Oh, really. " Iruka leaned in quickly, pulled down the mask, and stole a kiss before Kakashi knew what was happening. His moist tongue thoroughly swept through the jounin's mouth, lifting all traces of sweetness. Then the kiss was over and the mask back in place, tan thumb removing the bit of white that still clung to the dark fabric. Iruka licked his lips thoughtfully. " If I don't miss my guess, I think you've been sampling some of Shima-san's cookies. "

Kakashi was still watching the pink tongue as it moved in speech. His response was less than intelligible. " Uh..."

" I really wouldn't have minded if she had just shared with everyone else, but I'm pretty sure you two haven't left a crumb. Now I have to think up punishments for you both. "

" Uhm..."

The chuunin stood and looked down with highly amused sable eyes. " I think I'll have Toranoko-chan get up early to help me with breakfast, and you... I may just have to spank you. "

The silver haired man watched his lover's rear end until it disappeared from his periphery, his thoughts still occupied. _Why did that sound less threatening than it should have? _

_---------------------------------------------------------------------_

_tbc..._


	6. Man to Man

**Author's Notes**

- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed :)! Ya'll are the reason I keep on trucking!

- Thank you to Fuyu! You are the best and this wouldn't have been posted without you, my lovely!

- Also check out Fuyu no Akegata's ' Between the Journey and the Rest' and ' Me In Honey' and all her other fics on here and her LJ. Excellent reads!

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

**Story Notes**

- This occurs several months after the events of Show and Tell. For anyone trying to keep track, it's late summer/early fall, the begnning of the school year. And a few months before Fuyu's " Between the Journey and the Rest".

**Warnings: **Coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, mortal embarrassment of a prepubescent boy, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Odd Admiration**

**Chapter 6**

**" Man to man?" **

The Inuzuka dogs snored.

Loudly.

Like small bears in the depths of winter hibernation.

_How the hell can anyone else sleep in here? _ Kakashi lay perfectly still, as he had been trained to do, breathing shallow and even in flawless imitation of slumber. His pack raised his head and shoulders up enough that he had a good view of the gym, his hands lay comfortably on his stomach, ankles crossed. Perfect position of repose. He had given up on keeping his one eye closed, however. It wasn't like anyone was paying attention to him, sensei and students were all in their own little dream worlds, oblivious to the tired and cranky jounin. He wished he was closer to Iruka so he could at least sneak a touch here and there, but the chuunin was bedded down on the other side of the kiddies in typical mission style- senior shinobi flanking the weaker members of the team. Silver hair waved in the breeze caused by a deep sigh.

Kakashi stared out the windows and resigned himself to spending the few hours until wake-up call playing out various fantasies involving a dolphin and several varieties of feathers. _Oooooh, he would look so hot with peacock feathers against that golden skin... _

As he pictured the delicious chuunin splayed on their bed, accented in key spots by brilliant cerulean, ebony and gold, Kakashi became aware of smaller noises just under the low rumbling of doggie snores. Faint groans, rustling fabric, incoherent mumblings. Kakashi rolled his eye to the left where all the students were sleeping in something like a circle around the flashlight campfire, gaze falling on each bundle in turn to find the culprit. _Hmmm, they divided themselves up, boys on one side, girls on the other. Old habits die hard, I guess. _

Rinmei and the other young girls were laying side by side by side, piles of fashion magazines and the Inuzuka pups scattered between their sleeping bags. Kenshin was sleeping sitting up against the pile of training dummies that Kakashi had been hiding behind earlier. Two boys were laid head to head, stacks of trading cards by their pillows. Akinori and the rest of the males were sprawled in various clumps, some sleeping on top of their bags, some literally cocooned in the thick cloth sacks. _Which leaves... _

Closest to Iruka on the far side of the pretend fire ring lay Genji and Toranoko. When the kids had settled down for ghost stories right before bed time, the little girl had dragged her sleeping bag over to the older boy's side and immediately set up camp. She rested her head on his stomach and fell asleep before Akinori had even begun his tale of the shinobi with a hook for a hand. Iruka had let them alone after Genji said it was fine, the boy explaining that he was accustomed to being used as a pillow, everyone in the Namiashi household just naturally tactile and cuddly.

When Kakashi had stretched out that evening, the two had been in the same pose; the boy flat on his back, the girl's scarred cheek pressed to his belly. Over the time that the jounin had been trying to sleep ( bent on ignoring the general noisiness of the group) Toranoko had worked her way further up Genji's body so that she was now lying half atop him. Kakashi could see her head moving as the boy's chest rose and fell, her mouth opening and closing though nothing came out. _Okay, she's not the one I'm hearing. _ Then another low moan slipped between the snores and Kakashi could see Genji beginning to twitch in his sleep. The scene was all too familiar to the older man, having suffered his share of erotic dreams, most intentionally brought on, but some had been entirely on the fly. Genji was muttering something, as well, but it was too jumbled for Kakashi to make out. The mutterings turned into a small gasp.

_That sounds like a __**very**__ good dream. So the twelve year old gets to have sexy dreams about whatever big boobed bimbo he's snuck a peek at in his father's porno collection and I have to lay a mere nine meters away from my own living wet dream without even so much as a kiss goodnight ?! _Kakashi sighed heavily, closing his eye. _This is unfair on so many levels. _

A muffled thumping echoed in the darkness.

The gray eye snapped open to find Genji sitting up, breathing heavily. Iruka was kneeling next to Ko-chan, arms wrapped around her little body. Ko-chan was beating one fist against the thick sparring mat.

Kakashi was there in less than an eye blink, silent as a ghost and apparently just as effective considering the situation. The kids appeared to still be half asleep, the chuunin the only one with fully opened eyes and the light of recognition in them. Iruka pulled Ko-chan away from Genji as he gave him quiet reassurances, hauling her into his lap, rocking her in place. Kakashi took note of how his lover kept the girl's hands tightly pinned.

" Nightmares. " Iruka gave the one word explanation understood by parents and shinobi everywhere.

_This has obviously happened before. _The jounin glanced over the other child, looking for any senbon that may have been accidentally thrust into his body while the girl had her sleep terrors. There didn't seem to be any weapons, no tell tale signs of injury or anything else amiss, except...

" 'Kashi, will you take Genji-kun to the locker room?" Iruka's soft voice whispered over the dark head before continuing its stream of near silent comforts in the small ear. Tears shone bright on her cheeks.

Genji finally seemed to come to his senses, jerking up his pack and fleeing towards the exit doors at the other end of the gymnasium. But Kakashi had already seen the growing wet spot on the front of the boy's pants.

_I guess it was a very very good dream. _

He nodded at his lover and stood, eye sweeping over the rest of their brood, looking for any other disturbances. Canines and children alike seemed unaffected. Only Kenshin had raised his head, watching the scene for a moment before deciding it was being taken care of and letting his chin dip forward once more. Kakashi strode past him.

The brighter light of the hallway was harsh in comparison to the pre twilight that filled the gym. Kakashi squinted in the merciless white illumination and made a sharp right turn to enter the men's locker room. A pair of trousers hung over the door of the last toilet stall. _I am so not capable of handling this. _

Wandering along the row of sinks, the silver headed shinobi stopped a few stalls away from the one currently occupied and leaned his hip against a porcelain edge. A few muffled sniffs reached his ears. _Awww, poor kid. My first time wasn't exactly a great experience either, though I did have Namikaze-sensei to talk me out of the panic. Of course sensei's presence was one of the reasons for the panic. _Kakashi shook the memories loose. " Genji-kun... are you okay?"

An angry " Yeah." was mumbled in reply. There was a large amount of rustling and thudding from inside the cubicle.

Kakashi struggled to remember the words his sensei used. " Genji-kun... it's a natural occurrence, it happens to all males at some time or another. " His voice dropped, not even sure if it was heard over the thundering silence in the tiled room. " Unfortunately tonight was your night."

The air was thick, the tension palpable and causing the battle hardened jounin to squirm. _Cripes, I haven't been this unnerved by silence since Iruka stared me down for the last pocky stick. _

The pants were pulled from the stall door and the ugly paint scarred rectangle opened to reveal a boy the color of an overripe tomato. Genji stalked to the nearest sink, head down, and turned the hot water faucet to full blast. Steam quickly began to fog up the wall mirror.

_Okay, I owe it to Iruka to try. _" Would you like to talk about it?" _How did sensei say it? _" Man to man?"

" I know what happened. We have health class." The boy piled liquid soap into his palm and smashed his hands together, building up a ridiculous lather.

" You know what happened physically. That doesn't make you emotionally ready to deal with the fact, Genji-kun. And health class deals with basics, not practicalities." Kakashi cringed with embarrassment, almost as much as Genji. _Yeah, they neglect to tell you what to do when you shoot your wad while you're on a mission, or when your best friend is sleeping next to you. _

Genji didn't answer, rinsing his hands for the third time under the scalding water.

" I think your hands are clean now. " His voice wry, eye brow quirked. Kakashi decided to try another route. " How often does your uncle tell you stories about Genma?"

Genji stopped wringing his hands under the water and spun the tap. He continued to avoid making eye contact. " A lot." A string of paper towels was ripped from the dispenser.

" Has he ever told you about Genma's first mission to Mist? The one where he was posing as a ladies' maid for a week?" Kakashi smiled slightly, remembering the day Raidou and Iruka had brought up that particular incident in the tokujo's career. " He was just barely a chuunin, still very delicate looking."

The pre-teen buffed his hands dry with unnecessary force, ambling towards a bench and flopping onto the wooden seat. His pack was dumped beside him. " A little. Rai-ojisan has some pictures. "

" Did you know that five days into the week he spent living in the women's quarters, Genma had a little dream episode himself? "

Genji finally looked up, his cocoa colored eyes growing large.

The jounin gave a mental sigh of relief and broadened his grin. " It was all down the front of his yukatta, from what I heard."

" What did he do?"

" Thankfully, he is a prankster of the first order, and thinks very quickly on his feet. He henge'd a pillow into a bowl of yogurt, so he got off with just a warning from the Mistress about bringing dessert to his futon before bed." The jounin chuckled.

Genji nodded, soaking up the anecdote. His thumbs were twiddling in his lap, a small part of his overall fidgety state, 'subtly' adjusting his crotch every few seconds. " Do- do uh, you uhm... I mean..."

" Yeah, it still happens to me occasionally." The gray eye curved in a bashful smile, his face tinged pink under the mask. " But there are things that can help with it, keep it from happening too often. " _ Crap! I am not teaching this kid how to whack off! _" I'm sure your father, or your uncle, can talk to you about it." _Raidou's brother-in-law is still on a mission, damnit. I almost forgot about that. Well, Raidou can give him the basics ( Yeah, but you're here right now, with him wanting answers!) _" Do you need me to explain-"

" NO." Genji blushed even brighter and hid his face in his hands, hunching over to plant his elbows on spread knees. " They discussed all that stuff in class. I know what's involved. "

_Whew! Wait a minute... they teach the kids to whack off in class?! Where was this class when I was in the academy?! ( You graduated when you were five. And they were telling the kids about meditation and cold showers, you dunce. Focus, Hatake!) _" Oh, okay. " Kakashi waited, knowing there was something else bothering the boy, something other than the normal embarrassment of public wet dreams. He decided to go out on a limb. " I don't think it had anything to do with Ko-chan's nightmares. " _Maybe he thinks squirming around triggered her dream. _" Pretty sure that was just a coincidence."

" I know that. She never remembers anything when she wakes up from those, anyway. " The pre-genin's voice was slightly hindered by his palms pressed over his mouth. " But I wish I had been able to help her back to sleep this time, instead of... this. "

_Ahh, I figured it was a common occurrence. That will have to be addressed before she goes on any field missions. _ The jounin shifted his weight to his other foot, opposite hip tilted onto another sink ledge. He crossed his arms over his chest in a casual manner.

He could hear Genji swallow before he spoke up. " Do, uhm, are you dreaming... about someone... when- when it happens?" The kid looked as though his head was going to combust, his ears were flaming a crimson that rivaled even Iruka's most flamboyant blushes.

" Uh, not always, but most of the time, yes." The silver haired man began to feel his own blush beginning to grow, cheeks heating up at the thought of his own erotic inspiration. _Let's see, the last one was a few months ago when he went on a mission and I dreamed that he was wearing nothing but combat boots and he was twisting my nipp- _" Yeah, I'm usually thinking of a particular person." Kakashi shifted again to ease the slight growth spurt in his pants.

Genji shifted, as well, bringing his knees together , heels splayed and toes pointing inwards. " Does that person know?" They both knew who the other was speaking of, of course. Raidou never hid his love from his family and Genma was incapable of hiding his preferences, hence Genji's full knowledge of their relationship, along with an understanding of Iruka's and Kakashi's as well. But discretion was always a valued trait within the shinobi community.

" Well, yes. " Gray hazed over as the jounin thought of the last time he had cummed the sheets with Iruka laying right beside him. _I had thought he'd worn me out completely after the fifth time, but then I woke up with sticky covers and a pouty chuunin. _" He usually scolds me for not waking up sooner and wasting it. "

" Oh kami." Genji's eyes practically bugged from his head, the whites rolling behind the protective fence of his spread fingers, his mouth gaping. His little call to the divine let the older man know that his last comment had been more information than the child needed; or wanted.

_Guess knowing what his sensei and me do in our off time is different from 'knowing' what we do in our off time. Wow. I haven't seen that shade of red before. I think I might have actually traumatized him. _" But anyway, yes, he knows and he doesn't mind. "

The boy's face returned to a more benign red tinge, his eyes closing in relief; or maybe in an effort to block out the mental image the older man had unwittingly bestowed. Genji was nodding absently, though the jounin was unsure whether it was in agreement with what he had said or something in the kid's own head. " Is that what happened with you ?"

A small nod.

" Well, that's sometimes easier to deal with. What kind of relationship do you have with this person? "

" Uhm, actually it was... " Genji shuddered, a tremor running from his toes to the tips of his dark hair. " two people..." He looked as though he could die of shame at any second.

It was Kakashi's turn to gawk. _Two! Sounds like he's related to Genma instead of Raidou. _" Two? Well, that's not unheard of... " He trailed off, much as Genji had, wondering if it was two at once, or maybe one actually engaged in the act and the other watching or- _You know, I'm probably better off not knowing the kinks of this younger generation_. But curiosity got the better of Kakashi, as usual. " Who was it?"

" I was dreaming about sparring... " One frightened brown eye peeked out between the parted fingers " with Iruka-sensei. " The eye squeezed shut and Genji drew in on himself, as if expecting a physical blow. " And I was get-getting all hot."

And Kakashi automatically answered before thinking about his audience. " That _is_ somewhat understandable. He does have a very nice looking body, especially when he spars. And when he takes his shirt off, so the sweat just rolls down that golden skin, trailing over the little dips and swells of his- "

" He wasn't naked and we were just sparring !"

Kakashi hastened to calm the overexcited boy. " Oi, I didn't say he was naked. I said he was shirtless and his well defined golden muscles are like- ahhh ok. " He promptly shut his mouth when he realized that Genji looked to be on the verge of a complete mental meltdown. And the imagery was beginning to have its own affect on a certain portion of his anatomy. Kakashi crossed one ankle over the other, causing his pants' crotch to bulge and crease, masking the natural bulge underneath. " Sorry about that, but you know that sparring and exercise often causes... erections... so all the activity yesterday could have helped to bring this on." _'Erection' sounds so clinical, ugh. Maybe I should've used ' Boner'. Hmmm, I'll use it next time. _" Were you sparring with the other person in your dream, too? "

Kakashi almost couldn't hear Genji's mumbled reply. " No."

" No? Okay, what were you doing?"

Several labored breaths passed before Genji's rushed voice spilled words onto the cold tiled floor like antique china. " Sensei and I finished sparring and then the dream changed and I w-was laying on my back in the grass looking at clouds and th-then I rolled over and h-h-hugged the person laying next to me."

The jounin waited patiently as the boy sucked in a lungful of air. _I really hope he isn't going to say that he was hugging me. _

" I-I was hugging Ko-chan." Genji's voice was nearly nonexistent. " And then IT happened." The heels of his hands had moved up to press into his eyes, his fingernails digging into his scalp. " I'm such a perv!"

_Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... okay, I get it now. _Kakashi inhaled and steadied himself after the rush of anticipation had worn off. " You're not a perv, Genji-kun. You're twelve. You have to be at least fourteen or fifteen before you can be called a pervert." When Genji groaned in distress, Kakashi changed his 'humorous' tactics. He pushed off of the sink and shuffled to the bench, sitting on the edge, half an arm's length away from the young man. " Genji-kun, wet dreams don't have any rhyme or reason. It could have happened if you were dreaming about ice cream and homework. "

" But I dreamed of her, and hugging her and she was pressed against me and- " Genji dropped his hands, exposing the panicked look on his rounded face. " I-I think I said her name."

" I was awake, you didn't say anything that could be understood. And I'm telling you that plenty of guys have wet dreams about their best friends." The jounin slumped back, leaning against the stark white wall. " Your brain just picks random images or images of people that you're comfortable with or have strong feelings for, even if it's not sexual. " _But I'm willing to bet over the next six years your perspective towards Ko-chan is going to change and those wet dreams about her are going to take a decided twist towards the mature. _" Then your body does what it needs to do. "

Genji looked less panicked, yet still decidedly miserable.

Stormy gray swerved to watch the boy, his back and a bit of profile in his view. Kakashi let the swell of memories wash over him for a brief instant, pulling what he needed from them before clamping down on the flow. _I woke up in the tent with Sensei, stained shorts and the image of his blue eyes burned into my dream hazed mind. I never told him that I'd dreamed of him that night, when I blew my wad all over my new uniform pants. _He studied the hunched form next to him, dejected, scared. _Too afraid of him being disgusted with me, of him hating me... of losing him. _

" Genji-kun, " A gloved hand haltingly raised, hesitating twice, then settling on the shoulder that was just beginning to show signs of broadening. " you've been good friends for almost two years. Iruka-sensei says you're best friends. Even if she knew this happened, and you said she wouldn't remember anything because of the nightmare, she's taken the same health classes you have. I'm sure she understands the mechanics behind it. AND... even if she somehow found out that you had been dreaming about her when it happened, she doesn't strike me as the type of person to be upset over it, to end a friendship over it. " Kakashi squeezed firmly, comfortingly. " It's okay, Genji-kun. You're not going to lose her over a quirk of biology."

Dark hair, so like his uncle's, bobbed with his head.

" It's all just a part of growing up."

" You won't tell her, right?"

" I'd never dream of it. "

Genji's breathing steadied, the effort to pull himself together highly visible. " Okay, okay... okay. " He ran his hands over the bleary eyes once more, then down his thighs several times. He grabbed his pack and stood up.

" You okay, now?" Kakashi had to ask; the kid still looked a little ashen under the dying blush.

" Yeah, yeah. I'm okay." Genji's voice was much more composed than his appearance.

_Good little shinobi. _The jounin stood, as well, falling into his normal slouch, hands in pockets. He put one foot in front of the other, calling over his shoulder. " C'mon. I'm sure Iruka-sensei has Ko-chan almost rocked back to sleep and she'll be wanting her human pillow. " Kakashi smiled at the light footsteps following in his wake and humored his own hopes of being a human pillow for a certain chuunin sensei.

---------------------------------------------

_tbc..._


	7. So we should hurry

**Author's Notes**

- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed :)!

- **Pimping!** Fuyu no Akegata who writes many incredible pieces within the TI-verse and without. She's wonderful, check out her stuff and leave great reviews! Also Jam and Jelly, who has supplied her fair share of plotbunnies and carrots! Also check out her stuff and leave geat reviews!

- Thanks to everyone who reads this mess XD!!!

**Story Notes**

**- This is an edited version. My profile has link to the uncut (SEX) version. **

- This occurs several months after the events of Show and Tell. For anyone trying to keep track, it's late summer/early fall, the begnning of the school year. And a few months before Fuyu's " Between the Journey and the Rest".

**Warnings: **Coarse language, malexmale sexual dialogue, biseinen-ai, yaoi, etc.

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Odd Admiration**

**Chapter 7**

**"So we should hurry, huh? " **

Kakashi had been right.

Iruka had soothed the upset child by the time the jounin had returned with Genji, the golden eyes half lidded and her hand weakly making one sign over and over again. Iruka smiled as the boy took his cargo and Toranoko instantly stilled. " Are you okay, Genji-kun?"

" Yes, sensei." The little brunette nodded and eased his friend back into her sleeping bag, laying down beside her. Ko-chan immediately flung one arm over the boy, snuggling flush with his body and sound asleep within seconds. Genji also closed his eyes and his breathing evened out soon after.

Their sensei had stood a moment looking down at them. Kakashi had watched the chuunin as he did so, thoughts as wild and foolish as his feelings for his beloved.

_He would've made the perfect father. If he didn't already have a hundred brats each school year to worry about, I'd adopt one for him. _

Then Iruka had returned to his bedroll, stretching out and resting his head on a spare blanket. He smiled at the jounin still staring at him. " You need a pillow?" The soft whisper managed to be both flip and sincere all in one breath.

Kakashi grinned under his mask, quickly settling down on the floor perpendicular to his lover, laying his head on Iruka's stomach. The gentle rise and fall that accompanied the chuunin's breathing lulled Kakashi to sleep...

... when he awoke, Kakashi first noticed that his pillow was gone, then the fact that the gym was filled with late morning sunshine, and that a pair of green eyes were staring down at him from under an unruly thatch of crimson. _What the..._

" Iruka-sensei! He's awake!" Kenshin called out over his shoulder. The boy turned back around to face the jounin, a finely arched eyebrow aimed at the silver headed man. " You missed breakfast, you know. Iruka-sensei took us outside to eat under the trees. "

Sitting up, Kakashi yawned so big he thought his head would split in half, idly scratching at his jaw line through the mask. " Uh huh."

" Me and Akinori-kun jumped in the piles of leaves and Iruka-sensei made us rake them back up."

" You know, you're awfully chipper for someone who slept less than 4 hours sitting up against a pile of wood and steel and then had field rations for breakfast. " Kakashi drawled, gazing solemnly at the child standing over him. _I can __**function**__ after a night like that, but I am never chipper unless Iruka and a full course breakfast are involved. _

" Iruka-sensei says it's because I'm full of the Spirit of Youth ." Kenshin's smile faltered and a thoughtful expression replaced the carefree look. " I don't really know what that means, though."

_Oh kami, he's quoting Gai. He's going to psychologically scar these kids. _Kakashi silently bemoaned his situation, once again in the spotlight with a youngster needing an explanation. " Well, you see..."

Apparently the gods had seen fit to give the jounin a reprieve. Before Kakashi could fumble through another awkward conversation with a pre-teen, Kenshin lost interest and darted off to join some of the other boys in a game of shinobi hide-n-seek. He noticed Ko-chan sitting by the bleachers, engrossed in one of at least three dozen scrolls laying haphazardly around her, bare faced and seemingly unaffected by the night terrors of only hours ago.

" Hungry?" Kakashi looked up into the lovely scarred face of his lover, Iruka approaching him with a ration bar in one extended hand. The chuunin was smiling brightly, as usual. " I managed to save you a ration bar, the kids love these things. Akinori-kun put away seven before I could set a limit." Iruka chuckled as he crouched down.

The jounin accepted the foil wrapped package, fingers just brushing the golden skin as he took the bar. " That'll change once they've had to live on them for a few months. You could've gotten me up when you got up." Kakashi pulled the shiny paper apart at the seam and smiled when he found a Stone protein bar inside. They tasted so much better than the Leaf standard issue rations.

Iruka apparently saw the happy glint in his single eye. " I had some from all the hidden villages, just to show them what they can expect when scavenging on a mission. I know you like the Stone rations best... and so does Akinori-kun, now. I had to literally pry that out of his hands." The brunette cast a quick glance over the gymnasium, checking on his students. " I didn't see any reason to wake you up yet. You looked so comfortable and I know you haven't had much sleep lately."

" But it looks bad for a jounin to sleep in when pre-genin are up and bouncing off the walls."

" I told them that the earmark of a good senior shinobi was sleeping in whenever possible."

Kakashi couldn't help but smirk at that, recalling all the times the chuunin had berated him for sleeping late, but he didn't challenge his lover. He accepted it as the gift that it was and chomped on his breakfast, face hidden by Iruka's crouching form. _Mmmmmm, tastes like berries. Wonder if 'Ruka has any more of these at his flat._

He had just swallowed the last bit of chewy goodness when a general uproar came from the other side of the gymnasium. The dark mask was pulled back into place and Kakashi peered around his lover to see Sakura standing just inside the wide font doors, the pink haired chuunin surrounded by Iruka's oldest class. The students were all clamoring for her attention, from Rinmei's emphatic gestures towards her oddly styled hair to Kenshin's oddly possessive position at the older kunoichi's side.

" Kenshin-kun has something of a crush on Sakura-san." Iruka had apparently caught the jounin's curious glance. " He tends to claim her when she stops by."

Sakura turned her pale green eyes towards her elders and waved cheerfully, unperturbed by her redheaded guardian. " Good morning, Iruka-sensei! Kakashi-sensei! Sorry I'm a bit late." She managed to work her way over to the bleachers amidst the group of hyper pre-teens, tossing her overstuffed bag onto the bottom row of wooden seats. " I ran into Kiba-kun on his way to the hospital. He broke his ankle jumping from some girl's bedroom window, running from her father. I had to cover his tracks to give him enough time to escape. " The pink hair swung around her face as she shook her head. " He should know better than to mess with the daughter of a jounin who works under Morino-san. Gonna have something broken _off _one of these days."

The older shinobi chuckled. Kakashi lazily rolled to his feet, the academy sensei standing as well and pulling another ration bar from his vest pocket. " No problem, Sakura-san. This is the last one, don't let Akinori-kun get it. " Iruka threw the bar like a kunai, his aim just as accurate as if it was a weapon, Sakura snatching it out of the air with ease. " Kakashi-sensei and I are going to be straightening up the infirmary and replacing the supplies we're using for the lessons. " He pointed towards the piles of bandaging and balms and splints on the fold out table. " That should be more than enough to get you through the demonstrations. Oh, and Toranoko-chan has been reading up on some of the advanced chakra healing techniques so I'm sure she's full of questions this morning."

The dark headed child immediately exploded into sign, hands moving rapidly through the complex shapes and Sakura appeared to be reading them flawlessly as she responded in her joyful voice and her own hand signs.

The scene sparked a memory in Kakashi as he and the chuunin exited the gym and headed towards the infirmary. " Hey, Iruka. Last night, Ko-chan was making a sign that I didn't recognize."

Iruka turned curious eyes on the jounin. " When was that?"

" When I came back with Genji-kun. She was making this sign over and over." Kakashi imitated the odd finger movements as best he could and dragged his hand back and forth across the middle of his face.

A grin was the brunette's immediate response. " That's her pet name for Genji-kun, it's shorter than signing his name in full. " Iruka gave a better performance, explaining the two separate gestures. " It's a loose version of the signs for 'dog' and 'eyes', basically it means 'puppy eyes'; for her, Genji-kun's eyes are his most outstanding feature. She has short forms for almost everyone. " The chuunin laughed lightly and stuck his hand over his own face on the diagonal, covering his mouth and right eye. " This is your sign when she's not being formal, and this is mine. " Iruka splayed his fingers atop his dark crown and then swung the hand down to slash one finger over his horizontal scar. He stuck his hands into his pockets as they continued down the empty hallway. " I'm sure she signed properly when she was conversing with you yesterday. The short forms are for casual conversations with friends and family."

The brunette took a right turn into a brightly lit hallway, the walls lined with childish finger paintings and slightly more mature ' When I grow up I want to be...' drawings. Kakashi found it amusing to see the crudely drawn shinobi, a few hokage, and even one of himself, complete with silver hair and orange book. Iruka continued talking as he pushed through two sets of doors. " And Genma, dear kami. He uses, and teaches her as he does, so many unflattering and perverse short forms it's like an entirely different language."

They entered the infirmary, making a beeline for the large supply closet in the back. Iruka swung the door open and ushered the older shinobi inside. Kakashi looked around the shelving crowded room, noticing the gaping holes where the supplies had been stocked, his mind still focused on the conversation even as the heavy door shut behind them. " That's a good thing to have between them, though. They can communicate with each other without an enemy's knowledge, it's a great tool. She should teach it to all her teammates in the future." He shimmied his way through a narrow row of cases filled with bandaging, sneaking a few rolls into his vest. _Running low at home. _

" Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. Do you know what her old short form of Aoba was?"

" Uh, sunglasses?"

Iruka shook his head, stopping in a bit of space between some balms and a refrigerated case. He curled the fingers of one hand, bringing them to his groin and making an unmistakable jerking motion.

The dark mask moved with Kakashi's laughter. " Something tells me that's Genma's short form for a lot of people."

" Not funny. See, she just picked that up from Genma because he wasn't paying attention. He still doesn't understand that kids are much more observant than he thinks and they are true copy nin; instant mimicry." Iruka grumped slightly, picking up a clipboard and scanning the handwritten rows. " And yes, he uses that quite a bit, but it's nothing compared to his old short form for you. "

" What does he use for-umphfff!" The kiss was unexpected, and yet not. Kakashi knew Iruka would intentionally bait him at times, getting him riled up just so the chuunin could silence him with lips and tongue, a much beloved game between them. When it ended, the jounin slipped both arms around the younger man's waist, keeping him from pulling away, not that there was much room to.

" He doesn't use it anymore, at least not often. " Iruka smiled sweetly, his own embrace tightening.

" Mmmmm." Kakashi was no longer concerned with the senbon shinobi. He had a lovely chuunin in his grasp and a semi-private space and a need that had been building over the past three nights. " How long will Sakura-chan's lesson last?" He could feel his mask moving as he spoke, the dark material still hooked over his chin.

Iruka's smile grew. " Not sure, and she may need something from here that I forgot, so she may run in to grab extras. "

" So we should hurry, huh?" The silver headed man leaned forward, pushing his lover against the nearest shelving unit full of small glass bottles, Iruka's back colliding with the edges. Kakashi's hips ground lightly into the neighboring swell. " But I promise to make it good, despite the time constraints."

Deep throated laughter answered. " You always do, 'Kashi love."

---------------------------------------------------------------------( profile for uncut links)

Kakashi watched as Iruka rubbed his wrists for the twenty-seventh time since leaving the supply closet ( after a short recovery time followed by thirty minutes of clean up) , the bandage restraints having chafed the brown skin. The sight left the jounin with mixed feelings. On one hand, he felt bad about injuring his lover even in such a small way. On the other hand... _I marked him as mine. Every time he looks down, or feels that little sting, he'll remember that I was the one who put it there. And everyone else who sees it will know that he's MINE. And anyone who sees this hickey adornign my temple will know that I'm HIS. _

They both reeked of eucalyptus ointment.

As soon as the two men entered the gymnasium they were bombarded by an assortment of sights and sounds, all shocking yet enormously hilarious.

Sakura stood in the middle of the huge space, a young boy dangling from each of her outspread arms, her fists clenched in their collars. " Stop it, you two!"

" But he touched you!" Kenshin screamed out, frantically grasping for his katana but unable to pull them from the twisted harness on his back due to the kunoichi's hold on his shirt. He settled for aggressive kicking, emerald eyes flashing dangerously. " He grabbed your hand!"

" She doesn't belong to you, you redheaded freak!" Akinori yelled back, fists swinging, dark hair waving as he tried to escape the young woman's grip. " And I was just trying to show her something!"

That sparked another wave of furious struggling as the rest of the class took up defensive positions around the trio. Genji was closest, looking ready to jump into the fray at the kunoichi's notice, hands already twisting into a length of chakra infused rope. He was standing protectively in front of a wide eyed Ko-chan, a smile quirking the corners of her bare mouth.

" I see everything is going as expected." Iruka mumbled quietly.

Kakashi stood back as his lover charged forward, rescuing the older girl, reprimanding the culprits, taking charge of the situation. The small limp in his gait wasn't even noticeable, unless one was looking for it. The jounin's single gaze took in the entire scene, absorbing it, letting it sink into his memory.

_Little moments like these... _

Kakashi stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled brightly behind his dark mask.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Owari_


End file.
